KanjiWidget keeps Japanese words and kanji visible on the Windows desktop, with readings, meanings, and example sentences. It includes furigana, English and Russian interfaces, FSRS reviews, text import from Anki .apkg decks, custom cards, and active recall. It works offline without ads, accounts, or subscriptions.
Publisher’s description
What is KanjiWidget?
KanjiWidget by KanjiWidget is open-source Windows software in the translation & ocr category. It is written in TypeScript.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.6.1, released on October 21, 2026. The version history goes back to September 2, 2026: 3 releases, all linked to the official files. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (platwa/KanjiWidget) has 3 stars. Similar programs include Poedit, Tesseract-OCR - open source OCR engine and DeepL.
Project description on GitHub: “Learn kanji in the background — a free offline Windows widget with FSRS reviews and Anki import.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: KanjiWidget is an open-source translation & ocr tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is KanjiWidget safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
A28808C83AE4F66FEA6B2DDDE58A672BC28D4F337397782D0493BBBE649BC12A· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 3 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6.1Latest | October 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 1.5.1 | October 20, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 1.4.1 | September 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id platwa.KanjiWidget -emsiexec /i KanjiWidget-1.6.1-x64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {D398F8D7-CC81-4F97-9759-397EF433CA8A} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- KanjiWidget
- Category
- Translation & OCR
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/platwa/KanjiWidget
- Written in
- TypeScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Version
- 1.6.1
- Released
- October 21, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- October 2, 2026
- Versions listed
- 3
- GitHub stars
- 3
- Website
- platwa.github.io
- winget ID
- platwa.KanjiWidget
- MSI product code
- {D398F8D7-CC81-4F97-9759-397EF433CA8A}
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is KanjiWidget free?
Yes. KanjiWidget is open-source software under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Is KanjiWidget safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install KanjiWidget with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can KanjiWidget be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does KanjiWidget run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of KanjiWidget?
The versions page lists all 3 versions with links to their official installer files, back to September 2, 2026.
What are alternatives to KanjiWidget?
Poedit, Tesseract-OCR - open source OCR engine, DeepL, Grammarly for Windows and goldendict-ng. The alternatives page compares them.
