# Learn Japanese vs Nihongo Lessons

The clearest difference is rating: Nihongo Lessons at 4.8 against Learn Japanese's 3.5. Nihongo Lessons also leads on ratings volume (126 vs 4) and review sentiment (85% vs 67%). Learn Japanese's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn Japanese sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nihongo Lessons sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nihongo Lessons holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nihongo Lessons has 126 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Learn Japanese's written reviews are positive against 85% of Nihongo Lessons's.

Learn Japanese ships an update every 2 months, Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn Japanese | Nihongo Lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-nihongo/id1158784253/reviews) | **[4.8 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **126** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **84.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nguyen Kin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1065261640) | [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn Japanese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-nihongo/id1158784253)

Master Japanese with comprehensive lessons based on the Minna no Nihongo series. Features include standard human voice pronunciation, kanji basics, and smart vocabulary recall tools. Interactive grammar explanations and vocabulary games make learning engaging and effective.

**Highlights:** Full 50 Minna no Nihongo lessons, Standard human Japanese voice, Kanji to basic radical, Smart vocabulary recall, Easy-to-understand grammar, Vocabulary testing games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Heart | $0.99 | one-time |


### Nihongo Lessons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242)

This app helps learners of all levels achieve Japanese fluency. It uses a flashcard format to teach vocabulary, grammar, and writing systems, with advanced spaced repetition for effective retention. Content is sourced from real manga for advanced learners.

**Highlights:** Learn Hiragana and Katakana, 7000+ handcrafted sentences, Professional voice actor audio, Advanced Spaced Repetition System (SRS), Vocabulary and grammar from manga, Flashcard learning format

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| All Access Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Beginner Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Champion Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Expert Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Master Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate Deck (Discounted) | $83.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Deck (Discounted) | $101.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Deck | $119.99 | one-time |
| All Decks (Discounted) | $149.99 | one-time |
| All Decks (Discounted) | $254.99 | one-time |
| All Decks | $299.99 | one-time |
| All Decks (Discounted) | $299.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learn Japanese free?

Learn Japanese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Nihongo Lessons free?

Nihongo Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Learn Japanese or Nihongo Lessons?

Nihongo Lessons is rated higher. Learn Japanese averages 3.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Nihongo Lessons averages 4.8 from 126 ratings.

### Do Learn Japanese or Nihongo Lessons have ads?

Neither Learn Japanese nor Nihongo Lessons shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Learn Japanese or Nihongo Lessons?

Learn Japanese ships an update every 2 months, and Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. Most recently, Learn Japanese was updated on October 5, 2026 and Nihongo Lessons on October 9, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*