Disclaimer!! This is not hate, nor is it just my opinion. It’s a collection of feedback I've heard over the past 2+ years. This isn't about team WK or team whatever, it's about making an educated choice on where to put your money when it comes to choosing a resource. WaniKani was revolutionary in popularizing mnemonics for learning Japanese, but I still don’t think it’s worth the $299—and here’s why:
Wanikani is a limited resource when you take a look at the price
➜ Costs $9.00/month.
➜ Teaches kanji and vocabulary through mnemonics but lacks coverage for grammar.
➜ No custom study options or JLPT organization, and pacing can feel random.
➜ Uses flashcards for kanji/vocabulary meanings and readings, but focuses heavily on isolated onyomi/kunyomi readings and outlandish radicals (e.g., "triceratops," "Death Star," "cleat," "narwhal") that may not resonate with most learners.
Wanikani has no consideration of prior knowledge
➜ Uses an SRS system with daily limits and mandatory reviews to progress.
➜ Charges high monthly subscription rates and forces you to start from the very beginning, regardless of prior knowledge.
➜ There’s no way around this, which is why many medium-to-high-level learners don’t bother with it.
Wanikani uses delayed progress as punishment
➜ Mistakes cannot be overridden, and any error, whether it’s a typo or a synonym, delays your progress.
➜ This keeps you at a lower level longer, encouraging you to stay subscribed, which often leads to a sunk cost fallacy.
➜ "I’ve already spent so much (time, money, etc.) on this platform! I can’t just quit!"
➜ The idea is that if you're worried about slow progress, you'll pay more attention and make fewer mistakes, forcing you to "pace yourself."
➜ But in reality, this is a profit-driven strategy that has never been proven effective, as most people are perfectly capable of pacing themselves.
Cost vs completion
➜ Despite being one of the most popular websites for learning Japanese, most WaniKani users never make it to the end.
➜ They promise 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words in just over a year. But at $9.00/month, that’s about $160 over 1.5 years. So, why does the lifetime subscription cost almost double at $299?
➜ It’s because they don’t actually expect you to finish within that timeframe. Only one user has reached level 60 in under a year—344 days, with a rigorous study schedule and minimal errors.
➜ The dropout rate is high, with only about 2% of users ever reaching level 60!
by KS_Learning