Migaku review

Here’s our Migaku review in brief: Migaku is one of the best tools available for learning from native video, especially Netflix, YouTube and anime in Japanese, Chinese or Korean. Its one-click sentence cards, with audio and a screenshot from the scene, are excellent. It’s less suited to long-form reading, it supports 11 languages, and there’s no free plan. If you learn by watching and like making cards, it’s worth the $10 a month. If you mostly read, look elsewhere.

We don’t make Migaku, and we’re building a different kind of app, so we’ve tried to stick to what Migaku itself documents and what’s widely agreed among users.

What Migaku is

Migaku is a set of tools for learning from content you’d watch or read anyway. The core pieces are:

• A Chrome extension that makes subtitles and web text clickable. It works on Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Rakuten Viki and Animelon, on ordinary web pages, and on video files you own.
• Migaku Memory, its flashcard system, on the web and in the apps.
• iOS and Android apps for reviewing cards, watching YouTube, browsing the web and using OCR on printed text.
• Courses: Fundamentals for writing systems and pronunciation, Academy for roughly the first 1,500–1,700 words and a few hundred grammar points (it varies by language), and a Kanji course for Japanese.

One subscription covers all 11 languages: Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Italian and French. Details here come from Migaku’s FAQ and language pages.

Migaku pricing in 2026

Migaku sells three plans. These are the US prices Migaku lists at the time of writing (October 2026). Its FAQ notes that prices will periodically increase, so check the current figures before you buy.

There’s no free plan, only a free trial (10 days at the time of writing), and Migaku offers a full refund within 14 days of purchase. Every plan includes all features. EA just gets new ones sooner.

Is lifetime worth it? At $96 a year, Standard would cost $499 after about five years. If you’re sure you’ll still use Migaku in five years, or you’ll want EA, lifetime pays off sooner. Migaku has discounted lifetime during sales, so if you’re considering it, it can pay to wait for one.

What Migaku does well

Clickable subtitles on real streaming sites

This is Migaku’s headline feature, and it’s very good. Turn on the extension, open an episode on Netflix, and every word in the subtitles becomes clickable. Look up a word without pausing for long, then carry on. You can use it on several streaming sites, not just Netflix and YouTube, which sets it apart from many rivals.

Sentence cards that carry the scene

Click to make a card and Migaku captures the word, the full sentence, the audio clip, a screenshot and a definition, with an AI explanation if you want it. When you review later, you hear the actor say the line and see the moment it happened.

That context helps memory. A word tied to a scene you enjoyed is easier to recall than one on a plain card. For anyone already doing sentence mining, Migaku cuts the time per card dramatically compared with building them by hand.

A clear method

Migaku doesn’t just hand you tools. Its FAQ lays out a plan: about 10 new cards a day, Fundamentals in roughly a month, then Academy over about six months, then mostly native content, mining sentences with a single unknown word. For learners who feel lost in “just immerse” advice, that structure is valuable.

Difficulty estimates

Migaku tracks the words you know and estimates how hard a video or web page will be. That helps you pick content you can actually follow, which is the whole point of comprehensible input.

Where Migaku struggles

Language coverage

Eleven languages is enough for many learners and a dealbreaker for others. If you’re learning Russian, Arabic, Dutch, Polish or any of dozens of others, Migaku isn’t an option. LingQ supports 50+ languages and Readlang over 100.

Long-form reading

Migaku reads web pages, but it isn’t designed for reading a novel from start to finish. Its FAQ lists ebook support as “coming soon.” If reading is a big part of your plan, you’ll want a dedicated reader alongside it, or instead. See our guide on importing EPUB books.

Browser and mobile limits

The extension is built for Chrome. Migaku says other Chromium browsers like Brave or Arc may work but aren’t officially supported. There’s no Firefox or Safari extension. On mobile, Migaku’s FAQ says the apps support YouTube, plus the built-in browser and OCR, but not Netflix or the other streaming sites.

Setup and card discipline

Migaku asks you to install an extension and an app and learn a workflow. That’s an hour, not a weekend, but it’s more than tapping a word in a reader. The bigger risk is the card habit. Sentence cards are seductive, and if you make too many, reviews pile up. Migaku’s own suggestion of about 10 a day is wise. Stick to it.

No free tier

Ten days is enough to test the workflow, not to know whether it’ll stick. If you’re on a tight budget, Language Reactor’s free version gives you clickable dual subtitles on Netflix and YouTube without paying.

Migaku vs the alternatives

Sources: LingQ, Readlang, Language Reactor. For a head-to-head, see LingQ vs Migaku.

Who Migaku suits best

Migaku is a great fit if:

• You learn mainly from Netflix, YouTube, anime or drama.
• You’re learning Japanese, Chinese or Korean, where much of its community and course material is focused.
• You like flashcards and want them rich and quick to make.
• You want a structured path from beginner courses into native content.

Look elsewhere if:

• Your language isn’t one of the 11.
• You mainly want to read books and long articles.
• You use Firefox or Safari, or study mostly on your phone with streaming apps.
• You want to try something properly for free first.

A note on Lumo

We’re building Lumo, which isn’t available yet. It’s a reading-first app, so it overlaps with Migaku less than you might think. When it launches, it will handle YouTube videos with an interactive transcript and dual subtitles, plus video or audio files with subtitles, EPUB books and web articles, and the words you save will become FSRS flashcards. It won’t have a browser extension or Netflix support. If streaming sites are where you learn, Migaku is the better tool.

Migaku review: the verdict

Migaku does one thing better than almost anyone: it turns the show you’re watching into a study session without breaking the fun. If that’s how you want to learn, the $10 a month is good value, and the course plus method gives you a clear path.

It’s not an all-in-one tool. Readers who want novels and articles, or learners of languages beyond its 11, will be better served by LingQ, Readlang or a dedicated reader. But for video-first learners, it’s one of the strongest picks out there. Just keep the content comprehensible. A show where you follow the story with a few lookups will teach you more than one where every line needs a click. Our explainer on comprehensible input covers why.

FAQ

Is Migaku worth it?

For learners who watch a lot of native video and like sentence cards, yes, especially in Japanese, Chinese or Korean. For learners who mostly read, or whose language isn’t supported, a reader like LingQ or Readlang is a better use of the money.

How much does Migaku cost?

At the time of writing, US prices are $10 a month or $96 a year for Standard, $15 a month or $144 a year for Early Access, and $499 once for lifetime. Prices change over time, and lifetime has been discounted during sales.

Is there a free version of Migaku?

No. There’s a free trial (10 days at the time of writing), and Migaku offers a full refund within 14 days of purchase. Language Reactor’s free version is the closest free option for clickable subtitles.

Does Migaku work on Firefox or Safari?

Not officially. Migaku’s extension is designed for Chrome, and it says some other Chromium browsers may work but aren’t supported. On iPhone and Android, the Migaku app supports YouTube, plus its own browser and OCR.

What languages does Migaku support?

Eleven: Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Italian and French. One subscription covers all of them.