Honest comparison · 2026
Migaku vs Anki
This comparison confuses people because for most of Migaku's history it was not an alternative to Anki — it was a layer on top of it. Migaku's browser extensions let you mine sentences from Netflix, YouTube and the web and send them into Anki as cards with audio, screenshots and readings attached. Anki is the review engine underneath.
Bottom line
Anki is the engine; Migaku is the sentence-mining pipeline
If you already mine sentences by hand and find it tedious, Migaku automates the tedious part. If you do not mine sentences at all, Migaku solves a problem you do not have, and plain Anki with a shared deck is both free and enough.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Migaku | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Mining tools + extensions | SRS review engine |
| Netflix / YouTube capture | Yes — its main selling point | No |
| Auto-adds audio and screenshots | Yes | Manual or via addons |
| Furigana / readings | Automatic | Deck or addon dependent |
| Review scheduling | Relies on an SRS underneath | Core function |
| Setup complexity | High — extensions and config | Moderate |
| Pricing | ~$5/mo per add-on | Free |
| Free tier | Limited extension features | Entirely free on desktop, Android, web |
Based on publicly available feature documentation as of 2026. Confirm pricing on each tool's site before purchasing.
Best for: Migaku
Immersion learners watching a lot of native video who want every interesting sentence captured with one keystroke.
Best for: Anki
Anyone who wants reliable spaced repetition with no subscription, and who is happy with pre-made decks.
Worth knowing
Where InputDojo fits
Sentence mining assumes you have already found content at roughly the right level — and finding that is the unglamorous, time-consuming part nobody sells you a tool for. InputDojo scores any text or video against your own known-word list before you commit to it, so you spend your time reading things you can nearly understand instead of bouncing off things you cannot. Words you save export to Anki, so this sits in front of a mining workflow rather than replacing it.
FAQ
Does Migaku replace Anki?+
Historically no — it fed Anki. Migaku has moved toward bundling its own review system, so check the current product before assuming you need both.
Is Migaku worth it for a beginner?+
Rarely. Mining native media is a high-intermediate activity; before that the sentences you capture are mostly too hard to be useful.
What does the full stack cost?+
Anki is free on desktop and Android. Migaku charges per add-on, so the total depends on which extensions you want — price it before committing.