Why does WaniKani seem easier than Speechling?

I tried to post this in the general language learning sub but they removed it and said it was too specific to Japanese. So I’m posting it here although it’s really more about the specific apps than about Japanese specifically.

I’ve been studying Japanese for a while but in a BS lazy way so I’m still at beginner level. I’m currently trying to get more serious and spend more time every day on the language. I use WaniKani which is an SRS system meant to teach Kanji and vocabulary. I recently also started using Speechling which is like Glossika. It gives you SRS flashcards and allows you to record yourself speaking the answers and get pronunciation feedback.

It seems a lot easier to remember what I learn in WaniKani than what I learn in Speechling and I’m not sure why that is. Here are the possible reasons I came up with.

* WaniKani will not allow you to do reviews at any time and tries to make you wait until you are “about to forget.”

* Speechling instantly introduces new words and phrases as soon as you get a handle on your previous words and phrases so you feel confused more frequently but you actually learn faster.

* WaniKani’s program is based on connecting words to Kanji so it’s easier to remember.

* Speechling has more phrases and less individual terms so it’s harder to remember.

Any feedback? I know someone is going to say I should just study and not worry about how difficult it is but I can’t help but worry if my progress is too slow or inefficient.