Comparison
yomion vs Bunpro — grammar, vocab, and kanji
Bunpro is a solid, inexpensive grammar SRS — it'll drill you on N5–N1 grammar points with cloze deletions and get the job done. Where it stops is where yomion starts: full grammar lessons with explanations and examples (not just fill-in-the-blank), typing practice, reading passages, kanji with stroke order, and an AI tutor. One app for grammar, vocab, kanji, and production.
How yomion compares to Bunpro
| Feature | Bunpro | yomion |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar SRS | Solid cloze-deletion SRS | FSRS + SM-2 SRS with full lessons, not just cloze |
| Grammar coverage | Good, N5–N1 grammar points | ~310 lessons N5–N1 with explanations + examples + furigana |
| Lesson depth | Brief, links to outside readings | Full in-app explanations, examples, and conjugation tables |
| Vocabulary | Yes (separate decks) | Yes — with word↔kanji links and FSRS scheduling |
| Kanji | Limited | Kanji with stroke order (KanjiVG), radicals, and word links |
| Typing practice | No | Yes — type romaji/translations to reinforce recall |
| Reading practice | Limited | JLPT reading passages with tap-for-reading |
| AI tutor | No | Judge, explain, and roleplay (paid) |
| Interface | Functional, spartan | Modern, Japanese-first, furigana throughout |
| Price | ~$5/mo | Free; Plus $8/mo, Pro $18/mo |
What Bunpro does well
Bunpro earned its following for a reason: it's a focused, affordable grammar SRS with good JLPT-level coverage and a no-frills work ethic. If all you want is to be quizzed on a grammar point until it sticks, it does that competently. The honest downside is scope and presentation — the lessons are brief, the interface is spartan, and grammar is treated largely as cloze deletion. To go deeper you end up juggling a textbook, a vocab app, and a kanji app alongside it.
Grammar beyond cloze deletion
yomion's grammar lessons (~310 of them, N5–N1) are full lessons — written explanations, worked examples, conjugation tables, and furigana throughout — not just a sentence with a blank. Take は + です (wa-desu): you read how the pattern works, see it in context, then drill it with FSRS or SM-2 spaced repetition (your choice per deck) and reinforce it by typing. Cloze is a fine review tool, but it's not a lesson.
One app, not three
Grammar alone isn't fluency. yomion folds in everything you'd otherwise buy separately: a vocabulary SRS (with CSV and .apkg import), kanji with stroke order and radicals, JLPT reading passages with tap-for-reading, typing practice so you can produce what you've learned, and an AI tutor that explains or roleplays. One due queue, one streak, one place to actually use Japanese — instead of stitching together three subscriptions.
- → ~310 free grammar lessons N5–N1
- → Start with wa-desu and build up
- → Vocab SRS that's also an Anki alternative
- → Kanji with stroke order and word links