Kanji Dojo

Kanji Dojo is a Japanese-character study app for learners who want handwriting practice alongside vocabulary and review. It is strongest for people who value broad study paths and offline access, and less compelling if they need a project with active upstream development.

Overview

The app brings writing systems, study organization, review, and reference into one place. Its open-source license is a plus for readers who value inspectable, reusable software, but the archived repository makes future changes a community-dependent prospect.

Key features

• Hiragana, katakana, and kanji: More than 6,000 characters provide room to move beyond a small beginner set.
• Study paths: Organize practice by JLPT level, school grade, or WaniKani level, or combine them. That flexibility suits learners following a defined curriculum, though it does not replace choosing a study goal.
• Writing and review: Pen-control exercises, flashcards, and spaced repetition pair active character practice with recall. Vocabulary examples help connect characters to words.
• Dictionary and offline use: A searchable dictionary serves as a reference alongside study. Download the needed materials first and continue learning offline, useful when connectivity is unreliable.
• Privacy: Firebase Analytics collects aggregated usage information without personal identifiers, while Crashlytics collects crash logs and diagnostics. The policy says user information is not shared or sold to third parties for marketing.
• Community support: Help and issue reporting are available through Discord, the in-app feedback menu, GitHub discussions or issues, and email. The maker describes development as community driven; feature requests may wait for an interested contributor.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing. Learning content is free and open source; some extra features are paid to help cover backend and development expenses. There is no free trial. This is a strong fit for learners who mainly need the core study material, but readers seeking every extra feature should expect that some may require payment.

Platforms

Kanji Dojo supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, and web, making it a flexible option across mobile and desktop devices.

Who it's for

Choose Kanji Dojo if Japanese learners want character writing practice, structured routes through a sizable character collection, vocabulary-supported spaced repetition, and the ability to study offline. Look elsewhere if ongoing feature development is a priority: the GitHub repository was archived on August 27, 2026 and is read-only.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Hiragana, katakana, and kanji study across more than 6,000 characters.
• JLPT, school-grade, and WaniKani paths can be combined to suit different study plans.
• Free, open-source learning content and offline study after downloading materials.
• Spaced repetition, flashcards, writing exercises, and a searchable dictionary cover complementary study needs.

Cons

• The archived repository is read-only, so future development depends on community contributions.
• Some extra features are paid, so the free content does not guarantee access to every feature.
• Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics collect usage and diagnostic data, which may not suit readers who want to avoid those services.

Alternatives

For other handwriting-focused options, browse Handwriting Practice Apps.

• Writing Wizard may suit readers after a general handwriting app with a free download and paid access to remaining letters and custom words.
• Hanzi Writer is another freemium writing-practice option, with core practice features free and a Pro plan for unlimited daily practice and AI-generated custom topics.
• LetterSchool may fit early learners who want a free starter set and a trial of its broader offering.
• Handwriting Repeater is a free choice for repeating sentences, with no account, subscription, or limits on sentences and repetitions.
• iTrace offers a free version with warm-ups, three letters, and an interactive scene, plus a one-time premium unlock.
• LearnWell Languages is a paid option for iOS and macOS, with Premium at $6.99 a month.
• Letterpaths is a free alternative; its public project describes a headless TypeScript library for generating handwriting geometry.
• Chinese Stroke Order Practice is a web-based freemium alternative with Pro plans for stroke-order practice.

Verdict

Kanji Dojo is a good match for Japanese learners who want writing practice, structured character study, and offline review without paying for the learning content. Its breadth and free core make it easy to recommend for self-directed study; choose another app if active upstream development is essential.