# Origami vs Nihongo Lessons

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nihongo Lessons at 85% against Origami's 60%. Nihongo Lessons also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Origami's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 129) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Origami sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Origami has 1.2K ratings behind it against 129, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Origami's written reviews are positive against 85% of Nihongo Lessons's.

Origami ships an update every 2 weeks, Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Origami | Nihongo Lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/origami-fold-and-learn/id1256478184/reviews) | **[4.8 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 129 |
| Positive reviews | 60.2% of reviews | **84.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 231 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andreas Bauer](https://appshunter.io/developer/378748121) | [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234) |

## What reviewers say

### Origami

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/origami-fold-and-learn/id1256478184)

Learn to create intricate paper sculptures with guided, step-by-step instructions and high-quality visuals. Explore a wide variety of shapes, from simple to complex, with a user-friendly interface designed for all skill levels.

**Highlights:** Step-by-step origami instructions, High-quality photos and diagrams, Visual folding guidebook, Variety of shapes (boxes, flowers, stars), Beginner to intermediate friendly, Weekly new instructions (Premium)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Origami Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Origami Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Origami Premium | $6.99 | per month |
| Origami Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Origami Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Origami Premium | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to follow instructions
- 🚀 Frequently updated with new models
- 💡 Structured learning path from beginner to advanced
- 🤗 Great for kids and beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Many models locked behind subscription
- 🔒 Subscription required to access full content
- 🤔 Misleading marketing about difficulty levels
- 💸 Expensive monthly subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Folding instructions not always clear
- Certain models appear impossible to complete

**Requested features**

- More diversity in origami models (e.g. weapons, airplanes, dragons)
- Option to permanently unlock content with one-time purchase
- Clearer separation between free and premium content
- Improved instructions for more complex models


### 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 |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for learning Japanese
- 🚀 Well-structured and effective learning format
- 💡 Tailors lessons to user goals
- 👍 Draws from real-life material
- 👍 More intense and serious than Duolingo

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Very expensive to unlock content
- 💰 High cost for full unlock
- 💰 Unlocking sections is costly
- 💰 Pricing is a bit rough
- 💰 Content is repetitive and not varied enough

**Reported bugs**

- Explanation modal flashed and cannot be brought back
- Unclear how to interact with cards (swiping direction)

**Requested features**

- Add notifications
- Add a way to add own notecards for review
- Add meaning and context for some words in dictionary
- Add monthly subscriptions or lower prices
- Add Kanji section


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Origami free?

Origami 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, Origami or Nihongo Lessons?

Nihongo Lessons is rated higher. Origami averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Nihongo Lessons averages 4.8 from 129 ratings.

### Do Origami or Nihongo Lessons have ads?

Neither Origami nor Nihongo Lessons shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Origami or Nihongo Lessons?

Origami ships an update every 2 weeks, and Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. Most recently, Origami was updated on October 29, 2026 and Nihongo Lessons on October 30, 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.*