Comparison
Katakana Rocks! vs Duolingo
Duolingo and Katakana Rocks! both help with Japanese, but they don’t set out to do the same thing. Here is what each one offers, feature by feature, according to the publishers’ public information (sources at the bottom of the page). Checked on 11 September 2026.
Katakana Rocks!
A small game that teaches you, in a few hours, to read on your own the signs, menus and borrowed words of a trip to Japan — 5 minutes whenever you like.
Duolingo
A complete course, lesson after lesson, that teaches the language through sentences, with the characters alongside.
Side by side
✓yes –partly, or only with the paid option ✗no
| Feature | Katakana Rocks! | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| No subscription | Yes. One-time purchase | Partly. Free, subscription optional (Super, Max)D1 |
| No ads | Yes. | Partly. Ads in the free versionD1 |
| No account needed | Yes. | You can start without oneT |
| Hiragana and katakana, one by one | Yes. | Yes. “Characters” tabD2 |
| Introduction to kanji | Yes. 244 everyday words | Yes. D2D3 |
| Writing, stroke order | No. | Yes. Tracing exercisesD2 |
| Speaking practice (microphone) | No. | Yes. D1 |
| Conversation with an AIneither an advantage nor a drawback | No | Yes, Video Call (Max subscription)D4 |
| Works offline (airplane mode) | Yes. | Partly. With the Super subscriptionD1 |
| Grammar through sentences | No. | Yes. D1 |
| A video gamestory, levels, mini-games | Yes. Story, 36 levels, 5 game modes | Partly. Mini-games along the lessons, which remain the core of the appT |
Which one is for you?
- Duolingo, if you want a complete Japanese course — sentences, grammar, writing and speaking — over the long run.
- Katakana Rocks!, if you want to read kana and your first kanji by playing a game, in 5-minute sessions, with no subscription and no ads.
Sources
Consulted on 11 September 2026.
- D1 Duolingo — App Store listing
- D2 Duolingo — Blog: learning to read Japanese characters
- D3 Duolingo — Duolingo Wiki, Japanese course
- D4 Duolingo — Blog: Duolingo Max
- T Tested by us in the app on 11 September 2026
Comparison made on 11 September 2026 by the publisher of Katakana Rocks!, from each publisher’s public information cited above. Offers change: if a cell is no longer accurate, let us know and we will correct it. Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, HelloTalk, Praktika, MARU are trademarks of their respective owners; Katakana Rocks! is not affiliated with any of them.
All the apps compared → vs Rosetta Stone → vs HelloTalk → vs Praktika → vs MARU →
Try Katakana Rocks! for free
The first 5 levels play right in your browser, with no account and nothing to install.
▶ Play the free demoFull game: one purchase, no subscription.
