Comparison

Japanese Flashcards vs Nihongo Master Dictionary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Japanese Flashcards

This app uses intelligent flashcards with a spaced repetition algorithm to optimize vocabulary and kanji learning. It provides example sentences, StackExchange Q&A, and kanji drawing practice. Users can also share decks and integrate with a companion reading app.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition algorithm (FSRS)
  • Example sentences and Q&A integration
  • Kanji drawing practice
  • Community deck sharing
  • Companion reader app integration
Features
Read full description

Intelligent flashcards, purpose-built for Japanese. Join an online community of 日本語 learners! OPTIMIZE Manabi optimizes what and when you learn to make the most of your time. With its state-of-the-art spaced repetition algorithm called FSRS (the same exact implementation used by Anki), it'll remind you to review cards right as you're likely to forget them to maximize efficiency. If you fall behind, Manabi prioritizes the highest-impact cards rather than guilt-trip you about it. BEYOND ROTE Learn more than just "the answers". Example sentences from Weblio are pulled in automatically, as well as relevant StackExchange Q&A. Just scroll down on a card to learn more and make those memories more vivid so that they stick! You can also practice your kanji skills by drawing kanji right inside the app with vivid stroke animations to help you remember the answers. COMMUNITY Users can share decks for others to subscribe to, with automatically-synced updates. Manabi is a community of Japanese learners, and comes with handy pre-built decks out-of-the-box. READER INTEGRATION One of the best ways to learn Japanese is by reading native materials. Use our companion app, Manabi Reader, for one-touch dictionary look-ups that let you seamlessly add flashcards into Manabi for the words you come across. Privacy Policy: https://manabi.io/privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: https://manabi.io/terms-of-service/

About

Nihongo Master Dictionary

This Japanese dictionary app helps users quickly find words and kanji with example sentences and JLPT levels. Create custom study lists and use flashcards to build vocabulary. It also offers popular study lists for common situations like travel and work.

Highlights
  • Word and kanji lookup
  • Example sentences
  • Related kanji information
  • JLPT level indicators
  • Custom study lists
  • Flashcard vocabulary builder
  • Popular situational study lists
Features
Read full description

Nihongo Master Dictionary is a fast, beautiful, and completely offline Japanese–English dictionary — built for learners at every level, from your first hiragana to JLPT N1. Look up any of 190,000+ words and 6,000+ kanji in an instant, with no internet connection required. Everything lives on your device, so it's always fast and always available — on the train, on a plane, or anywhere. SEARCH ANY WAY YOU THINK • Search in English, Japanese, or rōmaji (type "taberu" or 食べる) • Smart search understands conjugated verbs — 食べました finds 食べる • Results ranked by how common words actually are MASTER KANJI • 6,000+ kanji with meanings, readings, and JLPT level • Watch stroke-order animations, then practice writing with guided feedback • Find any kanji by its radicals • Listen to native pronunciation for many readings UNDERSTAND REAL JAPANESE • Full conjugation tables for every verb and adjective • Paste in a sentence and tap any word to break it down • Real-world example sentences show words in context STUDY & REMEMBER • Star your favorites and revisit recent lookups • Build custom study lists, or add popular community lists • Review with built-in spaced repetition so it sticks Nihongo Master Dictionary is free, supported by ads. A one-time in-app purchase removes ads forever. Ready to go beyond the dictionary? Nihongo Master offers full structured Japanese lessons at nihongomaster.com.

Screenshots

Japanese Flashcards4 screens
Nihongo Master Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Japanese Flashcards at none against Nihongo Master Dictionary's 1. Japanese Flashcards also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 21 months). Nihongo Master Dictionary's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (67% vs 56%). On price, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nihongo Master Dictionary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Japanese Flashcards asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nihongo Master Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Japanese Flashcards has 40 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Japanese Flashcards's written reviews are positive against 67% of Nihongo Master Dictionary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Japanese Flashcards ships an update weekly, Nihongo Master Dictionary every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Japanese Flashcards versus Nihongo Master Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJapanese FlashcardsNihongo Master Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (40 ratings)4.5 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40 — better6
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 21 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size141 MB242 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJohn A EhlkeNihongo Master

Customer experience

Japanese Flashcards

All ratings36 ratings
Positive80.6%
Neutral5.6%
Negative13.9%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral27.8%
Negative16.7%

Nihongo Master Dictionary

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

Japanese Flashcards

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Nihongo Master Dictionary

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Japanese Flashcards free?
Japanese Flashcards is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nihongo Master Dictionary free?
Nihongo Master Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Japanese Flashcards or Nihongo Master Dictionary?
Nihongo Master Dictionary is rated higher. Japanese Flashcards averages 4.1 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Nihongo Master Dictionary averages 4.5 from 6 ratings.
Do Japanese Flashcards or Nihongo Master Dictionary have ads?
Nihongo Master Dictionary shows ads; Japanese Flashcards does not.
Which is updated more often, Japanese Flashcards or Nihongo Master Dictionary?
Japanese Flashcards ships an update weekly, and Nihongo Master Dictionary every 21 months. Most recently, Japanese Flashcards was updated on November 6, 2026 and Nihongo Master Dictionary on November 3, 2026.

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