How to learn hiragana and katakana for free, without a paywall
Short answer: Hiragana and katakana are a fixed set of about 46 basic characters each, so you don't need a paid course. A printable chart, a way to test yourself, a way to hear the sounds and a review schedule are enough. Before installing an app, check whether the alphabet itself is locked after a few lessons.
What you actually need
- A chart of basic, dakuon (が) and yōon (きゃ) characters.
- Self-testing: flashcards or a quiz, in both directions.
- Audio: Android phones can read Japanese aloud with a Japanese text-to-speech voice, which you can add in the phone's language settings.
- Writing practice: paper, or a tracing pad on screen.
- Spaced review: see missed characters again sooner.
Free options
Paper flashcards and a notebook cost almost nothing and work well. Free flashcard apps with spaced repetition work too, if you are happy to build or download a deck. Many all-in-one Japanese apps are free to install but lock lessons after the first few; reviews of those apps often mention hitting a paywall after 4 to 8 lessons.
Check before you commit
Look for "all characters unlocked" in the description, read recent 1- and 2-star reviews for words like "pay" or "premium", and check whether it needs an account or an internet connection, since progress tied to a server can be lost.
In Kanaday
Kanaday is free and ad-supported, with every hiragana and katakana character unlocked from the first day. It works offline, needs no account, and includes the chart, a quiz, tracing, audio via your phone's Japanese voice and 5-step spaced review.