Comparison
yomion vs WaniKani — kanji, vocabulary, and more
WaniKani is genuinely good at what it does: teaching kanji and radicals through mnemonics on a polished, steady schedule. It tops out there — kanji and vocab, no grammar, no reading passages, no typing. yomion matches the kanji path (with stroke order, radicals, and word links) and keeps going: typing practice, FSRS spaced repetition, grammar N5–N1, reading passages, and an AI tutor, all free to start.
How yomion compares to WaniKani
| Feature | WaniKani | yomion |
|---|---|---|
| Kanji | Kanji + radicals via mnemonics | Kanji with stroke order (KanjiVG), radicals, word↔kanji links |
| Vocabulary | Yes, tied to kanji levels | Yes — plus standalone vocab decks and FSRS scheduling |
| SRS engine | Proprietary fixed schedule | FSRS (modern) + SM-2, per-deck choice |
| Curriculum pace | Fixed, slow (~2+ years to all levels) | Self-paced — learn any kanji anytime, in any order |
| Grammar | No (kanji/vocab only) | ~310 free lessons N5–N1 with explanations + furigana |
| Reading practice | Limited (in-context reviews) | JLPT reading passages with tap-for-reading |
| Typing practice | No | Yes — type romaji/translations to reinforce recall |
| AI tutor | No | Judge, explain, and roleplay (paid) |
| Price | $10/mo or $60/yr after free levels | Free; Plus $8/mo, Pro $18/mo |
| Works offline | No (web only, server-side reviews) | Yes (PWA, local-first) |
WaniKani's strength — and its ceiling
WaniKani's mnemonic system for kanji and radicals is well-designed, and the spaced repetition keeps you honest. The trade-off is pace and scope: the curriculum is fixed and famously slow (a couple of years to clear all 60 levels), and it deliberately does only kanji and vocabulary. No grammar, no reading practice, no typing. If you want the rest of Japanese, WaniKani expects you to stack another app — or two — on top.
yomion's kanji path
yomion covers the same foundations — kanji, radicals, vocabulary — with a few extras WaniKani doesn't offer. Every kanji comes with stroke order diagrams (via KanjiVG), radical breakdowns, and two-way links between kanji and the words that use them, so a kanji like 日 shows you every vocabulary word it appears in, and every word links back to its kanji. You learn any kanji at any time, in any order — no level gates. And the SRS uses FSRS (the modern scheduler Anki adopted as its default) plus classic SM-2, your choice per deck.
Learn kanji in context
Kanji in isolation only gets you so far. yomion puts the pieces together: free grammar lessons from N5 through N1, with full explanations, examples, and furigana; typing practice so you actually produce what you recognize; reading passages with tap-to-look-up; and an AI tutor that can explain, judge, or roleplay. One app for kanji, grammar, reading, and production — instead of three subscriptions.
- → Kanji with stroke order, radicals, and word links
- → Free grammar lessons N5–N1
- → Start at JLPT N5 or any level
- → Drill any kanji in context, e.g. 日