# Learn Japanese vs Shaded Learning

The clearest difference is rating: Shaded Learning at 5.0 against Learn Japanese's 4.5. Learn Japanese's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (233 vs 3). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn Japanese sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Shaded Learning sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shaded Learning holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn Japanese has 233 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Learn Japanese ships an update every 11 days, Shaded Learning weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn Japanese | Shaded Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (233 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-manabi-reader/id1247286380/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaded-learning/id6744109632/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **233** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 202 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [John A Ehlke](https://appshunter.io/developer/1180710625) | [Shaded](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806099122) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn Japanese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-manabi-reader/id1247286380)

Enhance your Japanese language skills by reading native content daily. This app offers one-tap word lookups with audio, automatic furigana, and flashcard creation to help you memorize new vocabulary. Track your progress with word and kanji tracking, and access curated reading materials or your own content.

**Highlights:** One-tap word lookups with audio, Automatic furigana, Flashcard creation and review, Word and kanji tracking, Curated and custom reading materials, EPUB ebook support, Offline-friendly

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription (Student) | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription (Student) | $12.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (Student) | $14.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $39.99 | per year |


### Shaded Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaded-learning/id6744109632)

Master Japanese vocabulary and grammar using spaced repetition and advanced language models. The app intelligently parses your answers, reinforcing incorrect words and strategically using correct ones to build new sentences for faster learning.

**Highlights:** Spaced repetition system, Language model integration, Intelligent answer parsing, Vocabulary acquisition, Grammar learning, Sentence building

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shaded Monthly | $3.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learn Japanese free?

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

### Is Shaded Learning free?

Shaded Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Learn Japanese or Shaded Learning?

Shaded Learning is rated higher. Learn Japanese averages 4.5 out of 5 from 233 ratings, while Shaded Learning averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Learn Japanese or Shaded Learning have ads?

Shaded Learning shows ads; Learn Japanese does not.

### Which is updated more often, Learn Japanese or Shaded Learning?

Learn Japanese ships an update every 11 days, and Shaded Learning weekly. Most recently, Learn Japanese was updated on October 29, 2026 and Shaded Learning on October 21, 2026.

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