You Don't Need to Spend a Fortune to Prepare
The JLPT preparation market is full of expensive textbooks, premium apps, and paid courses. While some paid resources are genuinely excellent, a huge amount of high-quality study material is available completely free. This guide covers the best free tools across every major study area — vocabulary, kanji, grammar, listening, and reading.
Flashcard and Spaced Repetition Tools
Anki (Free on Desktop, Android; Paid on iOS)
Anki is the most powerful free spaced repetition system available. For JLPT learners, the ecosystem of community-built decks is enormous. Highly recommended decks include:
- JLPT Tango N5/N4/N3/N2/N1 decks: Based on the popular Tango vocabulary book series, these decks include example sentences and audio.
- Core 2000/6000 decks: Frequency-based vocabulary decks that overlap heavily with JLPT word lists.
- Kanji Recognition decks: Organized by JLPT level, testing reading and meaning recognition.
Kitsun.io (Free Tier Available)
A more polished web-based alternative to Anki with JLPT-specific templates and a modern interface. The free tier is generous for JLPT vocabulary study.
Kanji Learning Tools
Jisho.org
The go-to free Japanese-English dictionary. Jisho lets you search by JLPT level, look up kanji by radical, and see stroke order diagrams. It's indispensable for daily reference.
WaniKani (Free up to Level 3)
WaniKani teaches kanji through a radical → kanji → vocabulary progression with mnemonics. The first three levels are permanently free and cover around 80 kanji — enough to evaluate whether the method suits you before committing to a subscription.
KanjiStudy App (Android, Free Tier)
Organized by JLPT level and JŌYŌ grade, KanjiStudy offers stroke order animations, quizzes, and example vocabulary in its free version.
Grammar Resources
Bunpro (Free Trial / Limited Free Access)
A grammar-focused SRS platform that organizes patterns by JLPT level. The interface is clean, explanations are clear, and it integrates example sentences with audio. Limited free access makes it worth exploring.
Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese
A comprehensive free grammar guide available at guidetojapanese.org. While not organized by JLPT level specifically, it covers virtually all grammar structures you'll encounter from N5 through N3, with clear explanations that prioritize understanding over rote rules.
JLPT Sensei (jlptsensei.com)
A dedicated JLPT grammar site with free lists, example sentences, and quizzes organized by level. Excellent for systematic N5–N1 grammar review.
Listening and Reading Tools
NHK Web Easy (www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/)
Real Japanese news articles rewritten in simplified Japanese with furigana over all kanji. Free and updated daily. Perfect for N4–N3 learners building reading speed and vocabulary in natural contexts.
Satori Reader (Free Sample Content)
Graded reading content with detailed grammar and vocabulary explanations for each sentence. The free sample content is limited but high quality.
LanguageReactor (Chrome Extension, Free Tier)
Adds interactive subtitles to Netflix and YouTube content in Japanese. You can hover over words for definitions and save vocabulary to review later. Turns Japanese media consumption into active study.
Practice Tests and Official Materials
JLPT Official Website (jlpt.jp)
The official JLPT site provides free sample questions for all levels — including audio for the listening section. These are the most authentic practice materials available and should be used by every serious candidate.
JLPT Sensei Practice Tests
Free online practice tests organized by level and section. Useful for quick targeted drills between full practice sessions.
Building Your Free Study Stack
You don't need every tool. A simple, effective free setup for most learners looks like this:
- Anki for vocabulary and kanji SRS
- Jisho.org for daily dictionary lookups
- JLPT Sensei for grammar review
- NHK Web Easy for daily reading practice
- JLPT official sample questions for realistic test simulation
Final Thoughts
The best tool is the one you'll use consistently. Spend a week experimenting with a few of the resources above, identify what fits your learning style, and build a daily habit around your chosen stack. Consistency with free tools outperforms sporadic use of expensive ones every time.