Migaku is a Chrome extension and mobile app that turns Netflix, YouTube, and web pages into learning material, in 11 languages. On Reddit (r/LearnJapanese), Migaku learners ask about other tools for different reasons. One wanted a free way to click words in Japanese subtitles while watching anime. Another wanted to learn basic, usable phrases before spending time on kanji.
Each section below fits one of those needs, and Migaku has the first card.
What Migaku Does
Migaku
Migaku suits learners who want to learn from the shows and sites they already enjoy. It works on popular sites, and advanced learners get extras like hotkeys and cards for whole dialogues. Its team of about 30 people includes learners who passed Japan's JLPT N1.
- Its starter course teaches the most common words and grammar before you watch.
- Switch to dictionaries written in the language itself as you advance.
- Spaced repetition is built in to review your cards.
- Flashcards
MobileBrowser extension
Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is the best app for serious learners. You learn from text and audio you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
In Bubblegum, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes reading and listening lessons for you, with phrases you can use from your very first lessons.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum can't help you watch a show you picked yourself. For that, Migaku and the tools below are the fit.
- Start with lessons made of simple, useful sentences at your level.
- Every lesson is new, and Poppy writes it about what you like.
- Ask Poppy how a phrase is used, and she explains it in the lesson.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in later lessons, so there's no deck to manage.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Anime, dramas, and web pages you pick yourself can't be opened in it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Look Up Words With a Free Pop-Up Dictionary
Yomitan
Yomitan is a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and it came after a tool called Yomichan. Its guide says it works on articles, novels, subtitles, and PDFs, and it can play audio so you hear each word.
- Look up words by hovering over them.
- Send a word straight to Anki, just as you met it.
- Install dictionaries of your choice.
Browser extension
Watch With Two Sets of Subtitles
Language Reactor
Language Reactor is a Chrome extension for Windows and Mac computers. Its Chrome Web Store page calls it a toolbox for learning from material made for people who speak the language.
- Show the original subtitles and a translation together on Netflix.
- Watch YouTube channels on any topic with the same tools.
- Look up a word in its pop-up dictionary while you watch.
Browser extension
Read Any Web Page With a Click
Readlang
Readlang works in more than 100 languages, and you can send the words you collect to Anki.
- Translate a word or a phrase on any page with one click.
- Upload articles and texts of your own to read.
- Chat with Ami, an AI partner who corrects your writing.
- Flashcards
WebBrowser extension
Learn Everyday Phrases First
Memrise
Memrise teaches words and phrases you'd use in real life, like asking for the bill. Its site says local speakers approve every word and phrase.
- Hear real accents, speed, and rhythm in each video.
- Repeat each phrase in your own voice after the speaker.
- Pick courses for goals like travel or work.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (3)
- LingopieTV shows, movies, and podcasts in 15 languages, with subtitles you can click and apps for phones.
- AnkiA flashcard program you can fill with cards from Yomitan or anything else, with audio and images.
- Kimchi ReaderFor Korean: a pop-up dictionary for books, websites, YouTube, Netflix, and Viki.
Common Questions
Which Migaku alternative should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning a language, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Memrise if you want everyday phrases first, or with Migaku's own starter course of common words.
Can I click words in anime or show subtitles?
Yes. Yomitan works on subtitles and other text in your browser, and Language Reactor does it on Netflix and YouTube in Chrome. For Korean shows, Kimchi Reader adds a pop-up dictionary to Netflix and Viki.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Migaku: The fastest way to really learn a language
- Migaku: App Store listing
- r/LearnJapanese: Alternative to Migaku
- r/LearnJapanese: Migaku's kanji mnemonics aren't doing it for me. Switching to Genki + Migaku for basic phrases?
- Yomitan: Getting started (hover lookups, Anki, audio)
- Language Reactor: Chrome Web Store listing
- Readlang: Learn a language by reading
- Memrise: Hear it, learn it, copy it
- Lingopie: Learn a language with TV shows and movies
- Anki: Powerful, intelligent flashcards
- Kimchi Reader: Features
- Migaku
- Bubblegum
- Yomitan
- Language Reactor
- Readlang
Checked on October 14, 2026 against each app's own pages.
