Comparison

Shinkansen smartEX App vs Menu, please! Menu Translator

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

Head to head
About

Shinkansen smartEX App

Easily reserve Shinkansen seats, hotels, and activities. Enjoy discounts for early bookings and flexible changes. Access station and train service information, and use QR tickets or designated IC cards for seamless travel.

Highlights
  • Reserve Shinkansen seats
  • Book hotels and activities
  • Early booking discounts
  • Free reservation changes
  • Select seats from map
  • QR-Ticket and IC card boarding
  • Fingerprint authentication login
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

▼With the EX app, you can: - Reserve Shinkansen seats through the app easily - Discount for early booking - Reserve Shinkansen seats up to 1 year in advance - You can make as many changes as you need, free of charge, before getting on the train - Reserve a set of Shinkansen seats and hotel rooms! - Reserve activities, hotels and car rentals! - Select any seat from the seat map (*reserved seats only) - Information on services available in stations and trains - You can log in quickly by using fingerprint authentication. (only for compatible models) ▼ Main features - Membership registration - Purchase ticket/Reserve seats (time designation, train name designation, easy free seat reservation)) - Confirm reservation - Change and refund reservation (reducing the number of persons) - Display purchase history and receipt - Check, change member information - Display QR-Ticket for boarding - Designate or register IC card for boarding - Service status information (Link) ▼ Notes - Membership registration is required to use this app. For registration, personal information is required, such as member name, date of birth, and a valid credit card, etc. - Ticket purchase (reservation) payment will be taken from the credit card registered on the account. -- You need to register or designate IC card for public transportation (*) to travel ticketless with IC card. (*) Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA - You need the pickup code to pick up tickets from ticket vending machines, etc., at main stations of Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen, such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto etc. - Please do not use this app to make a seat reservation for Japan Rail Pass. - This service is available only in English. - For more details on this service, please see the website. *The email address below is for inquiries about application specifications. Please note that we cannnot answer inquiries about the service.

About

Menu, please! Menu Translator

Instantly translate menus in Asian countries with a single photo. Understand ingredients, build your order in the app, and communicate preferences with staff using live translation. Order like a local with confidence.

Highlights
  • Instant photo menu translation
  • Detailed dish information (ingredients, flavor)
  • In-app order building
  • Live translation for staff communication
  • Supports multiple Asian languages
Features
Read full description

Menu, please! makes ordering Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, Singaporean, Vietnamese & Thai food simple. We help you understand the menu, place your order, and communicate your preferences with ease. With Menu, please!, you can order like a local from day one. And it's free! Enter any restaurant with confidence. With just a single photo, you can instantly translate the entire menu, understand the ingredients and flavors of each dish, build your order directly in the app, and even communicate with staff using our live translation feature. Key Features: Instant Photo Translation One photo is all it takes. Our AI intelligently reads the entire menu layout—including sections, sides, and tiny footnotes—so nothing gets lost in translation. Go Beyond Words Get more than just a name. For each dish, learn about the ingredients, flavor profile, and how locals typically enjoy it. Effortless Ordering Build your order in the app and show it as translated text or play it as audio for the staff. No more pointing, guessing, or awkward mime games. Works Across Asia Full support for Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, Singaporean, Vietnamese & Thai menus. What Our Users Are Saying: "Really Impressive" - Olle Linge, Hacking Chinese "Menu, please! is excellent. It reads the menu, converts it into an easy-to-read format with Japanese pronunciation, and you can specify how much you need... Can't recommend it enough!" - r/DexterousChunk "Finde die Idee mega gut! Hab die letzten drei Monate in Japan verbracht und da haette es mir einiges an nervigem Google-Nonsens erspart." - u/lydia-morphem "This would have been a game-changer when I lived in Taiwan." - Brian Koetting "Your app is so useful! It would have saved me so much time when I was living in Taiwan! I'll use it next time I go there. Thank you!" - babettmade Download Menu, please! today, and embrace the freedom to explore Asia's incredible culinary scene! Privacy Policy: https://www.menu-please.app/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.menu-please.app/terms-of-service

Screenshots

Shinkansen smartEX App4 screens
Menu, please! Menu Translator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Menu, please! Menu Translator at 100% against Shinkansen smartEX App's 18%. Menu, please! Menu Translator also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.7) and device support (3 vs 1). Shinkansen smartEX App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (576 vs 6). On price, update cadence and ads 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. Menu, please! Menu Translator sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Shinkansen smartEX App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Menu, please! Menu Translator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shinkansen smartEX App has 576 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Shinkansen smartEX App's written reviews are positive against 100% of Menu, please! Menu Translator's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update every 2 months, Menu, please! Menu Translator every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Shinkansen smartEX App versus Menu, please! Menu Translator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShinkansen smartEX AppMenu, please! Menu Translator
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (576 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings576 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#164 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCentral Japan Railway CompanyKrists Krievins

Customer experience

Shinkansen smartEX App

All ratings576 ratings
Positive16.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative81.4%
Written reviews351 reviews
Positive17.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative78.6%

Menu, please! Menu Translator

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shinkansen smartEX App

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Menu, please! Menu Translator

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Supporter$3.991 Month
One-time2
  • Buy Me a Boba$0.99
  • Buy me a Bento Box$3.99

Questions

Is Shinkansen smartEX App free?
Shinkansen smartEX App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Menu, please! Menu Translator free?
Menu, please! Menu Translator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shinkansen smartEX App or Menu, please! Menu Translator?
Menu, please! Menu Translator is rated higher. Shinkansen smartEX App averages 1.7 out of 5 from 576 ratings, while Menu, please! Menu Translator averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Shinkansen smartEX App or Menu, please! Menu Translator have ads?
Neither Shinkansen smartEX App nor Menu, please! Menu Translator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shinkansen smartEX App or Menu, please! Menu Translator?
Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update every 2 months, and Menu, please! Menu Translator every 6 weeks. Most recently, Shinkansen smartEX App was updated on September 26, 2026 and Menu, please! Menu Translator on August 8, 2026.

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