The WaniKani alternative

InputDojo vs WaniKani

Same SRS rigor — plus reading real Japanese, not just isolated kanji.

Why InputDojo

WaniKani is excellent at one job: drilling you through ~2,000 kanji with mnemonics over 1.5–2 years. InputDojo combines that kind of SRS-based study with a reader for real Japanese, so the kanji you learn immediately get reinforced in actual sentences from articles, YouTube, or books you import.

Feature comparison

FeatureInputDojoWaniKani
SRS for kanji & vocabYes (SM-2)Yes (proprietary)
Read real Japanese in-appYes — any URL, YouTube, PDFNo
Mnemonics for kanjiUser notes + AI explanationsBuilt-in radicals
JLPT vocab tracksN5–N1, freeNot aligned to JLPT
Grammar explanationsAI grammar chat (Ultimate)Not included
Mobile / PWAYesWeb + third-party apps
Pace flexibilityRead at your paceFixed level-gating

Based on publicly available WaniKani feature documentation as of 2026. Compare directly before choosing.

Best for

Learners who want the SRS discipline of WaniKani but also want to read actual Japanese content from day one.

FAQ

Can I import my WaniKani progress?+

Not directly, but you can mark known kanji/vocab in InputDojo so SRS skips them. We're working on a WaniKani import.

Does InputDojo teach radicals?+

Yes — character breakdown shows components and our AI tutor can explain mnemonic stories for any kanji you tap.

Give InputDojo a try

Free forever for JLPT, HSK, and CEFR study. 14-day trial for Pro and Ultimate.