← tools
Apps that spam you
Language learning apps
Language learning apps for Chinese, Japanese, Korean and more, rated for what they actually teach.
The short answer
This directory lists language learning apps for Asian languages with price, platforms, best use and a Kungfucius rating. Filter by language to find apps that go beyond streaks and notifications.
Tested so you don’t have to
8beltsSpanish-made speaking course that promises conversational basics in eight months through high-frequency vocabulary and guided speaking drills.Website ↗
AnkiFree, open-source spaced repetition flashcard app and the default tool for memorising vocabulary and characters. In February 2026 its creator Damien Elmes handed stewardship to AnkiHub.Website ↗
BabbelSubscription course app built around short dialogues and grammar notes; strong for European languages, with no full Chinese, Japanese or Korean course.Website ↗
BeelinguappParallel-text reader with audiobook-style narration, showing your native language and the target language side by side.Website ↗
Bluebird LanguagesAudio-only course library covering 160+ languages with formulaic recorded lessons.Website ↗
BunproJapanese grammar SRS with example sentences and links to grammar resources, ordered by JLPT level.Website ↗
BusuuStructured course app (owned by Chegg since 2021) with native-speaker feedback on written and spoken exercises; Japanese and Chinese courses are shorter than its European ones.Website ↗
ChinesePodVeteran Mandarin podcast-and-lesson library (launched in Shanghai in 2005) with thousands of dialogues across all levels.Website ↗
ChineseSkillGamified Mandarin course app in the HelloChinese mould, with bite-sized lessons on pinyin, characters and grammar.Website ↗
ClozemasterFill-in-the-blank sentence game built on frequency lists, for building vocabulary in context after the basics.Website ↗
Conversation Based ChunkingPaid course by Kevin Brown (Kevin vs China) teaching Mandarin through memorised conversational chunks rather than isolated words.Website ↗
CourseraMOOC platform with university courses, including Mandarin from Peking University and Chinese for Beginners.Website ↗
DLI CoursesFree Defense Language Institute (DLIFLC) materials such as Headstart and Global Language Online Support System (GLOSS) for many languages.Website ↗
Dong ChineseChinese character site and app with etymology, component breakdowns and a character-learning game.Website ↗
DropsVisual vocabulary app with five-minute gamified sessions; acquired by Kahoot! in 2020.Website ↗
Du ChineseGraded Mandarin reader app with pinyin toggle, audio and tap-to-define, organised from newbie to master level.Website ↗
DuolingoThe world's most-downloaded language app: gamified micro-lessons with streaks and leagues; courses include Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese.Website ↗
edXUniversity MOOC platform (owned by 2U) offering some Chinese language and culture courses.Website ↗
FluentUSubscription service that turns real videos (trailers, music videos, news) into interactive subtitled lessons.Website ↗
ForvoCrowd-sourced pronunciation dictionary with native-speaker recordings of millions of words.Website ↗
FSI CoursesPublic-domain US Foreign Service Institute courses (including Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese) from the 1960s onwards, with audio.Website ↗
GlossikaTaiwan-founded sentence-repetition platform (founder Michael Campbell) using native audio and spaced repetition, including Taiwanese Hokkien and Hakka.Website ↗
HackChineseMandarin-specific vocabulary SRS with HSK/TOCFL lists and smart review scheduling.Website ↗
HackingChineseOlle Linge's long-running blog and resource hub on how to learn Mandarin, with courses and a podcast.Website ↗
HelloChineseGamified Mandarin course app with speech recognition, handwriting and graded videos; widely seen as the best Duolingo alternative for Chinese.Website ↗
JapanesePod101Innovative Language's huge Japanese audio and video lesson library, from absolute beginner upwards.Website ↗
KoreanClass101Innovative Language's Korean audio and video lesson library, structured by level.Website ↗
Language TransferFree audio courses by Mihalis Eleftheriou that teach you to think through a language's structure; with no Chinese, Japanese or Korean course so far.Website ↗
LingoDeerCourse app originally built for Asian languages, with clear grammar-focused lessons for Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Vietnamese.Website ↗
LingQSteve Kaufmann's reading-and-listening platform: import any content, look up words and track known vocabulary.Website ↗
LinguacafeFree, open-source, self-hosted reading platform in the LingQ style, supporting Chinese, Japanese, Korean and more.Website ↗
LingvistEstonian vocabulary-first app using frequency data and adaptive repetition; mainly European languages.Website ↗
LUTEFree, open-source LingQ-style reader (Lute v3) that runs locally and supports Chinese and Japanese parsing.Website ↗
Mandarin MosaicSentence-mining app for Mandarin: sentences built from words you know plus one new word, with spaced repetition, graded articles and Anki import. iPhone, iPad and Android.Website ↗
Mandarin ZestMandarin learning blog with free tools and word lists, run by Antoine and Dorota, two European learners of Chinese.Website ↗
Mango LanguagesCourse app often free through public libraries, with colour-coded grammar and cultural notes.Website ↗
MemriseVocabulary app with native-speaker video clips and AI chat; user-created courses were retired in 2023.Website ↗
Michel Thomas MethodAudio course method where you learn alongside two recorded students by building sentences; Mandarin and Japanese editions exist.Website ↗
MigakuBrowser extension and app that turns Netflix, YouTube and web pages into interactive lessons with one-click flashcards; supports Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese among others.Website ↗
PimsleurAudio-first method (Paul Pimsleur, 1960s) using graduated interval recall; owned by Simon & Schuster; strong for pronunciation and confidence.Website ↗
PodglotVietnamese learning platform built around podcast-style content, tone training and an AI tutor.Website ↗
ReadlangBrowser reader that translates words on any web page and turns them into flashcards.Website ↗
Rocket LanguagesOne-time-purchase audio-and-text courses with voice recognition, including Japanese, Chinese and Korean.Website ↗
Satori ReaderJapanese graded reading platform with audio, explanations and tap-to-define, by the makers of Human Japanese.Website ↗
SkritterHandwriting-focused app for Chinese characters and Japanese kanji with stroke-by-stroke feedback.Website ↗
Talk to Me In Korean (TTMIK)Seoul-based Korean learning company (founded 2009) offering free lessons, podcasts, books and courses.Website ↗
TatoebaFree, open crowd-sourced database of sentences and translations, used to build many SRS decks.Website ↗
VietnamesePod101Innovative Language's Vietnamese audio and video lessons, mostly Northern accent.Website ↗
WaniKaniTofugu's kanji and vocabulary SRS with mnemonics, teaching about 2,000 kanji across 60 levels; first three levels free.Website ↗
YoutubeVideo platform hosting most of the free Asian-language learning content on the internet.Website ↗