Comparison
WaniKani vs Anki for kanji
WaniKani and Anki are the two most-used SRS tools for kanji learners, and they answer different questions. WaniKani gives you a polished, opinionated, radical-first curriculum and tells you what to study next. Anki gives you a blank SRS engine and lets you decide everything yourself. Here is when each one fits - and where Wanilog sits on top of WaniKani.
Pick WaniKani if...
- You want someone to tell you what to learn next, and in what order.
- You want mnemonics and a radical decomposition for every kanji.
- You want a single app, on every device, with no deck maintenance.
- You can commit to a year-plus and pay a subscription past level 3.
Pick Anki if...
- You already know what you want to learn (RTK, KanjiDamage, mined cards).
- You want to control intervals, card layout, and deck content.
- You want a free option through to fluency.
- You want offline review on a first-party mobile app.
Side-by-side feature matrix
| Feature | WaniKani | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | ||
| Pre-built kanji curriculum | Yes | No |
| Radical-first decomposition | Yes | Partial |
| Mnemonics for every item | Yes | No |
| Bring your own deck / list | No | Yes |
| Vocabulary included | Yes | Partial |
| SRS engine | ||
| Spaced repetition | Yes | Yes |
| Server-side scheduling | Yes | No |
| Customisable intervals | No | Yes |
| Fail penalty (dropping stages) | Yes | Partial |
| Leech detection | Partial | Yes |
| Stats and progress | ||
| Built-in dashboard | Partial | Partial |
| Finish-date projection | No | No |
| JLPT / Joyo / frequency coverage | No | No |
| Reading coverage tools | No | No |
| Third-party stats apps | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | ||
| Web app | Yes | Yes |
| First-party iOS app | No | Yes |
| First-party Android app | No | Yes |
| Community mobile apps | Yes | Partial |
| Offline review | No | Yes |
| Cost | ||
| Free to start | Yes | Yes |
| Free to finish | No | Yes |
| One-time payment option | Yes | Partial |
Where Wanilog comes in
Wanilog is a free stats dashboard built on top of WaniKani. It is not a replacement for either WaniKani or Anki - if you chose WaniKani, Wanilog is the thing that tells you how it is going: when you will finish, how much of the JLPT you have covered, which NHK headlines you can read today, and which leeches are still tripping you up.
FAQ
Should I use WaniKani or Anki for kanji?
WaniKani is the right choice if you want a curated curriculum, mnemonics, radical-first decomposition, and a single app to log into. Anki is the right choice if you already know what you want to learn, have time to maintain your own deck, and prefer total control over scheduling and card design.
Can I use WaniKani and Anki together?
Yes, and many learners do. The common pattern is WaniKani for kanji + vocabulary (because the radical decomposition and mnemonics are genuinely good) and Anki for grammar (Tae Kim / Genki / Tango decks), sentence mining from immersion, or production-side flashcards. The two surfaces have minimal overlap.
Is Anki free? Is WaniKani free?
Anki is free on desktop, web, and Android; the iOS app is a one-time purchase that funds development. WaniKani is free for the first 3 levels and then a paid subscription unlocks levels 4-60.
Which Anki deck should I use for kanji?
The most popular community decks for kanji are KanjiDamage, Recognition RTK (Heisig), and All-In-One Kanji Deck. None of them have the polish or curated mnemonics of WaniKani, but all of them are flexible and free.
Where does Wanilog fit in?
Wanilog is a free stats dashboard for WaniKani users. It is not a replacement for either WaniKani or Anki - it sits on top of WaniKani and gives you better visibility into your progress: a projection with a confidence band, JLPT and Joyo coverage, reading coverage on real Japanese text, and a leech trainer.
How many reviews per day on each?
WaniKani's review count is determined by the SRS - you get whatever is due. Around 80-150/day is typical for steady learners. Anki review counts depend entirely on how many cards you have in your decks and the new-card limit you set. Wanilog's workload forecast graphs the next 60 days of expected WK reviews so you can plan around it.
How long does WaniKani take?
About 1 to 2 years for level 60 at a sustainable pace. The minimum theoretical speed is about 12 months (the SRS intervals enforce this). Anki has no fixed timeline; it depends on your deck size, daily new-card limit, and retention rate.
Is there a mobile app?
WaniKani has no first-party mobile app but has community apps (Tsurukame on iOS, Flaming Durtles on Android). Anki has AnkiMobile (iOS, paid) and AnkiDroid (Android, free). Wanilog is a PWA - install it to your home screen and it works offline.