How this comparison was made
This article is published by Unihongo, an AI Japanese tutor built for speaking practice. The descriptions of other products come from each company's own public website as of September 2026 and describe what each site says the product offers. Features change, so check each site before you decide. No prices for other products are quoted here, because current pricing is on their sites.
The article does not give pass rates or score predictions, and no tool named here can promise a result. The aim is narrower: to show which tool is designed for which part of the test, so that you do not expect a speaking tutor to teach kanji or a kanji system to teach conversation.
What the JLPT tests, and what it leaves out
According to the official site, jlpt.jp, the test has five levels, from N5, the easiest, to N1, the most difficult. At N5, N4 and N3 there are three test sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary), Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading, and Listening. At N2 and N1, language knowledge and reading are combined in one section, followed by Listening. Kanji does not have a section of its own. The official list of test item types places kanji reading under vocabulary, and kanji is needed for all reading.
The official site states that the JLPT does not include sections to measure speaking or writing proficiency directly. A high score shows that you can read and understand Japanese at that level. It does not show whether you can hold a conversation. The official site publishes sample questions for every level, with one sample question for each test item type, and refers candidates to the official practice workbooks for more practice. Start there, because only official material shows the real format.
Vocabulary: spaced repetition systems and games
Vocabulary is a question of quantity and regular review, so it suits a spaced repetition system, which shows each word again shortly before you would forget it. Renshuu's site shows a vocabulary dictionary with filters for JLPT levels N5 to N1, lesson packs that include JLPT levels, and several question styles, including multiple choice, typing an answer, arranging the parts of a sentence and listening. Kanshudo's site describes spaced repetition flashcards that track your progress automatically and a JLPT Center where you can create JLPT flashcards.
WaniKani teaches vocabulary together with kanji: its site says it covers over 6,000 vocabulary words, taught with mnemonics.
Unihongo is not a spaced repetition system. Its Game Arcade at unihongo.com/games offers short vocabulary games, including Vocabulary Dash, Kotoba Stack, Sushi Sort and Quick Flip, that are free to play without an account. They are useful as a quick review between study sessions, not as your main vocabulary record.
Kanji: structured systems and a reference library
Kanji needs an order and a memory method. WaniKani is a kanji learning application by Tofugu. Its site describes teaching radicals first as building blocks, then over 2,000 kanji in an order chosen by its makers, with mnemonics for every radical, kanji and vocabulary word, and a spaced repetition system that adjusts the time between reviews for each item.
Kanshudo's site says its dictionaries contain 14,000 kanji, of which 4,000 have mnemonics, and it lists kanji games and a visual indicator of your mastery. Renshuu's site shows a kanji dictionary with filters for JLPT level and school grade, and says it can adjust the Japanese you see to match your knowledge level, down to each individual kanji.
Unihongo offers a kanji library of all 2,136 joyo kanji at unihongo.com/kanji. It is a free reference for looking up a character, not a course with scheduled reviews. For a beginner who still needs hiragana and katakana before N5, the Kana Dash game at unihongo.com/alphabet is a free starting point.
Grammar: study systems and AI explanations
Bunpro's site describes the product as an SRS system for studying Japanese grammar, with example sentences, audio and textbook paths, and it has a Grammar Library in which each grammar point carries a JLPT level label. Kanshudo's site lists 800 grammar points and two AI features: AI TeachMe for learning grammar interactively, and AI Sentence Correct, which it describes as a personal Japanese coach. Renshuu's site shows a grammar dictionary with filters for JLPT levels N5 to N1.
General assistants such as ChatGPT are a different kind of tool. They can converse in Japanese by text and follow instructions that you write, so you can ask for an explanation in simple English, for example sentences at a level you name, or for a short quiz on one pattern. For JLPT grammar, this is useful when two patterns look similar and you want the difference explained with examples at your level. For current features, see the provider's site.
Treat every AI explanation, from any product including Unihongo, as something to verify. Rare N1 patterns and formal expressions are the areas where a second check with a grammar reference or a teacher is most valuable.
Reading and listening: graded passages, timed practice and audio
Reading is the section where time pressure matters most, and it improves only by reading. Bunpro's site describes graded reading practice divided by JLPT level. Kanshudo's site describes a Reading Corner with real Japanese essays and texts. Renshuu's site has a sentence lookup and lesson material based on textbooks and JLPT levels.
For the test format itself, use practice tests. Bunpro's site describes 25 full JLPT practice tests, five for each level, with detailed reasons provided for each question. Kanshudo's site describes its JLPT Center as a place for practice questions and timed tests. These are made by the companies, not by the test organisers, so use them together with the official sample questions and official practice workbooks listed at jlpt.jp.
Reading practice needs reading material, so a speaking tutor is not the tool for this section. Unihongo can help in one small way: after reading a passage, explain it aloud to the AI Sensei in your own words. If you cannot summarise it, you understood the words but not the argument.
Listening practice needs audio that you hear without reading first. Bunpro's practice tests include a listening section with recorded audio, and its site says you can see the full audio script for listening questions after completing a test. Renshuu's site describes a listening question style in which you hear a sentence and type the missing Japanese.
Conversation with an AI tutor is a second kind of listening practice: you must understand each reply in order to answer it. In Unihongo you talk by voice with an AI Sensei, and the free Listen & Pick game trains recognition of single words by sound. General assistants such as ChatGPT also offer voice conversation. Live conversation is not the same as test audio, so use both.
Speaking: the ability the JLPT does not test
Because the JLPT has no speaking section, a candidate can pass a level and still find a simple phone call difficult. If your reason for taking the test is a job, a university place or life in Japan, plan speaking practice next to your test study from the beginning.
This is Unihongo's speciality. The learner talks by voice with an AI Sensei in an immersive 3D classroom. Roleplay missions are graded by level and let you use grammar aloud in places such as cafes, convenience stores, hotels and clinics, and the AI plays a role such as the clerk or doctor and stays in character. An AI session report lists corrections after a conversation, and pronunciation practice scores your speech line by line.
Unihongo is free to use with a free account. The free plan includes 3 minutes of live conversation with the AI Sensei, 2 roleplay missions, 5 scored pronunciation lines and 2 AI session reports a day, and keeps the 10 most recent sessions in Review. Three minutes a day is short. It suits a short daily speaking habit, in which you prepare two or three sentences with the day's grammar and then say them in conversation. It does not suit hour-long sessions. It runs in the browser, with an Android app in early access and an iOS app pending. A human teacher's cultural judgement remains valuable beside any AI tutor.
Table: JLPT sections and the tools for each
The table lists tools whose public sites describe features for each part of the test as of September 2026. It is a map, not a ranking. The last column shows what Unihongo adds and states where it is not the main tool.
| JLPT area | Study systems to consider | General assistant such as ChatGPT | Unihongo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary | Renshuu, Kanshudo, WaniKani | Example sentences for a word you name | Free vocabulary games for quick review; not a spaced repetition system |
| Kanji | WaniKani, Kanshudo, Renshuu | Explanations of a character on request | Free kanji library of 2,136 joyo kanji; reference, not a course |
| Grammar | Bunpro, Kanshudo, Renshuu | Step-by-step explanations and comparisons, to be verified | Grammar used aloud in roleplay missions graded by level |
| Reading | Bunpro, Kanshudo | Explanations of a sentence you do not understand | Not a reading tool; spoken summaries only |
| Listening | Bunpro practice tests, Renshuu listening questions | Voice conversation | Voice conversation with an AI Sensei; Listen & Pick game |
| Speaking (not tested) | See their sites | Voice conversation that you set up yourself | Main speciality: 3D classroom, roleplay missions, session reports |
Official sample questions and practice workbooks from jlpt.jp belong in every row. No tool in the table is an official source of test content.
Japanese sentences for asking an AI about JLPT grammar
These sentences work with any AI tutor or assistant that understands Japanese. Asking in Japanese turns the question itself into practice. Say them aloud where the tool accepts voice.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| この文法の使い方を説明してください。 | Kono bunpō no tsukaikata o setsumei shite kudasai. | Please explain how to use this grammar. |
| 「ように」と「ために」の違いは何ですか。 | 'Yō ni' to 'tame ni' no chigai wa nan desu ka. | What is the difference between yō ni and tame ni? |
| N4レベルの例文を三つ作ってください。 | Enu-yon reberu no reibun o mittsu tsukutte kudasai. | Please make three example sentences at N4 level. |
| この文は正しいですか。 | Kono bun wa tadashii desu ka. | Is this sentence correct? |
| この文法を使って会話を練習したいです。 | Kono bunpō o tsukatte kaiwa o renshū shitai desu. | I want to practise conversation using this grammar. |
A weekly routine that combines the tools
One study system, one source of explanations and one place to speak are enough. Adding more tools usually divides your time without adding knowledge. A simple week looks like this.
- Every day: reviews in one study system for vocabulary and kanji, such as WaniKani, Renshuu or Kanshudo. Keep the daily amount small enough to continue for months.
- Three days a week: new grammar in Bunpro, Kanshudo, Renshuu or your textbook. When two patterns seem the same, ask a general assistant to compare them, then verify the answer.
- Three days a week: a short speaking session that uses the week's grammar aloud, for example a roleplay mission in Unihongo that suits your level.
- Two days a week: one graded reading passage and one listening exercise, without reading the script first.
- Once a week: timed questions in the official format, using the sample questions or official practice workbooks listed at jlpt.jp.
Adjust the balance by your weakest section, not by which activity is most pleasant. If reading is weak, move time from speaking to reading until the test. If your goal after the test is to work or live in Japan, keep at least a few minutes of speaking every week so that the grammar you studied is ready to use.