You're ready to tackle Japanese kanji and vocabulary seriously, but you're stuck choosing between learning platforms. If you've researched Japanese learning tools, you've probably encountered both WaniKani and Kann. Both promise to teach you thousands of kanji and vocabulary words through spaced repetition, but their approaches couldn't be more different.

Here's an honest comparison based on real user experiences, pricing, and learning philosophies. Neither app is perfect, and the "better" choice depends entirely on your learning style, budget, and goals.

Learning Philosophy: Structured vs. Flexible

WaniKani: The Systematic Progression

WaniKani teaches 2,000 joyo kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words through an innovative mnemonics and spaced repetition system (SRS) approach. It gamifies the process by splitting the content across 60 levels that you progress through linearly.

Its philosophy is methodical. You start with radicals (kanji building blocks), learn kanji built from those radicals, then study vocabulary using those kanji. You have to start learning from scratch. If you have already known some kanji, it will probably take some levels before you reach kanji you don't really know.

Strength: This approach works brilliantly for complete beginners. By starting from the radicals and most frequent kanji, WaniKani provides an perfect on-ramp for complete kanji beginners.

Limitation: You cannot skip ahead to later levels if you have existing kanji knowledge, a frustration for intermediate/advanced learners. If you already know 500 kanji, you still start at level 1.

Kann: The Topic-Driven Approach

Kann takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of one predetermined path, it offers multiple learning tracks:

• Frequency-based dictionaries: 1K, 2K, … 6K most common words (1000 words per dictionary)

• Topic-specific dictionaries: Business, Anime, Technology, Culinary, and more (~100 words each)

• JLPT-organised kanji: All kanji organised by actual JLPT levels (N5-N1)

Kann's Strength: You can focus on vocabulary that's immediately relevant to your interests or goals. Want to understand anime and the industry behind it? Start with the Anime dictionary. Planning to work in Japan? Jump into Business vocabulary.

Kann's Limitation: This flexibility might overwhelm beginners who prefer clear structure. Some learners thrive with WaniKani's "here's exactly what to study next" approach.

Content and Coverage

WaniKani's Comprehensive System

WaniKani covers 2,136 kanji and nearly 6,000 vocabulary items. However, according to WKstats if you complete Wanikani you will only know 91.90% of Joyo, 88.20% of JLPT N1, or 80.04% of the most frequently used kanji in newspapers.

The vocabulary is there to supplement and re-enforce the kanji rather than as a comprehensive list. The inclusion of vocab here is fantastic as a learning tool but you will also need to supplement with other resources for a full learning experience.

Kann's Targeted Coverage

Kann organizes content differently:

• All JLPT kanji and radicals (N5-N1) completely free

• Frequency-based vocabulary: Up to 6000 words split into manageable 1000-word dictionaries

• Topic-specific focus: Smaller, curated dictionaries for immediate practical use

The key difference: WaniKani's vocabulary is selected to reinforce kanji learning, while Kann's is selected for practical communication or specific interests.

Learning Methods and Question Types

WaniKani: Mnemonic-Heavy Approach

WaniKani's mnemonics, combined with the optimised SRS system, make memorising kanji exponentially easier and more fun than traditional methods. The platform creates memorable stories for each radical and kanji.

Question Types:

• Reading (hiragana input)

• Meaning (English input)

Kann: Multiple Recognition Modes

Kann tests understanding from multiple angles:

• "What's the word for...?" (English → Japanese)

• "How do you read...?" (Kanji → Reading)

• "What does … mean?" (Japanese → English)

• "What's the onyomi/kunyomi of...?" (for kanji specifically)

• Automatic conjugation practice for verbs

Kann's Advantage: More question variety helps build deeper understanding. Verb conjugation practice is built-in, not an add-on.

WaniKani's Advantage: Mnemonics can be incredibly effective for memory formation, especially for visual learners.

The Stroke Order Philosophy Split

Here's where the apps diverge philosophically:

WaniKani: Recognition-Only

One of the big downsides of WaniKani is that it doesn't teach stroke order. In other words: It will teach you how to read kanji, but not how to write them. However, as one user notes: How often do I actually have to write kanji by hand in real life? For smartphone chats and other machine-assisted writing, knowing the look, sound, and meaning of a character is sufficient.

Kann: Recognition-First by Design

Kann deliberately avoids stroke order practice, arguing that phone-based writing creates bad motor habits that don't transfer to real writing. The philosophy: master recognition first, then practice writing on paper when you're ready for real-world application.

Pricing Reality Check

WaniKani's Pricing Structure

A monthly subscription is USD 9.00/month and is a recurring charge. An annual subscription is USD 89.00/year. A Lifetime account is a one-time payment of USD 299.00.

Free Access: First 3 levels only (~100 kanji/radicals)

Kann's Generous Free Model

Free Content Includes:

• All kana (hiragana and katakana)

• All radicals (210)

• All JLPT kanji (N5-N1 ~10,000)

• The 1000 most common Japanese words

• Complete Design dictionary

• Approximately 8 months of daily learning material

• Daily lives limitation that is easily surpassed with active learning

Paid Options:

• Monthly subscription: €7/month (unlimited practice + iCloud sync)

• Annual subscription: €70/year (10-month pricing)

• Lifetime access: €200 (removes all limitations, unlocks all dictionaries)

• Individual dictionary purchases (DLC model)

User Experience and Technical Aspects

WaniKani's Polish and Community

WaniKani has opened up its API, allowing code-savvy users to create scripts and mods that extend functionality in creative ways. The community has created numerous user scripts to enhance the experience.

Mobile Experience: The iOS and Android apps are developed by third-party fans of the platform, not Tofugu the original creator of WaniKani. Third-party apps like Tsurukame (iOS) and Flaming Durtles (Android) are highly regarded.

Kann's Mobile-First Design

Kann is designed mobile-first for both iOS and Android, though the Android version is still catching up with some iOS features. The lives system with coins creates a game-like experience without being too punitive.

Real User Experiences

WaniKani Success Stories

In just a little over a year with WaniKani, I was able to pass the JLPT N2, nearly doubling my previous score, and received a whopping 48 out of 60 on the "Language Knowledge" section, a huge improvement!

After using WaniKani for about a year, I tried to read those reports again. I once tried to read the Japanese reports and was put off by how many kanji I could not read.

Common WaniKani Frustrations

Core 2.3k deck (178 cards remaining, about 150 reviews a day, retention on mature cards 73%, about 130 leeches that I moved out to a temporary deck). Many users struggle with review pile-up and retention issues.

WaniKani is kinda expensive and my parents are gonna need some convincing to pay 90$ a year for WaniKani. BTW i'm a college student so I have other things to do so I might take like 3-5 yrs to master Kanji (that's 270$-450$)

When WaniKani Works Best

Choose WaniKani if you:

• Are a complete kanji beginner who benefits from clear structure

• Love mnemonics and memory stories

• Want a proven system with years of user success stories

• Don't mind paying for polish and community features

• Can commit to daily reviews for 1-2 years consistently

When Kann Works Best

Choose Kann if you:

• Want immediate practical vocabulary for specific interests

• Have limited budget but want substantial free content

• Prefer multiple question types and conjugation practice

• Value efficiency over entertainment in your learning

• Want to focus on recognition skills that transfer immediately

Areas Where Each Could Improve

WaniKani's Improvement Opportunities

• Skip placement tests: Let intermediate learners start at appropriate levels

• More affordable options: The pricing can be prohibitive for students

• Official mobile apps: Relying on third-party developers limits mobile experience

• Question variety: More question types could deepen understanding

Kann's Improvement Opportunities

• Beginner guidance: More structure for users overwhelmed by choice

• Mnemonic options: Some learners really benefit from memory stories

• Android feature parity: The Android version needs to catch up

• Community features: WaniKani's forums and shared scripts create engagement

The Bottom Line

Neither app is objectively "better", they serve different learners and learning philosophies.

WaniKani excels at: Systematic progression, proven results for beginners, community support, and making kanji learning feel achievable through structure and mnemonics.

Kann excels at: Practical vocabulary for immediate use, generous free access, multiple question types, and efficient learning without entertainment overhead.

The honest truth? WaniKani is certainly not a complete Japanese learning solution. It will not teach you grammar, how to speak, listen or a lot of non-kanji vocabulary you need. Neither is Kann. Both are excellent tools for specific aspects of Japanese learning.

Many successful learners combine approaches: use WaniKani for systematic kanji progression, supplement with Kann's topic-specific dictionaries for practical vocabulary, and add grammar study elsewhere.

Your choice should depend on your learning style, budget constraints, and immediate goals. Both will teach you Japanese, just through very different paths.

Try the free tiers of both platforms before committing. WaniKani offers 3 free levels, while Kann provides months of free content including all JLPT kanji. The best spaced repetition system is the one you'll actually use consistently.