# Bunpo vs Nihongo

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bunpo at every 9 days against Nihongo's every 9 months. Bunpo also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 4). Nihongo's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bunpo sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Nihongo sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Bunpo against 5.0 for Nihongo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, Nihongo every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bunpo | Nihongo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-read-japanese/id1496307364/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 247 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bunpo Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279720051) | [Alysha Kwok](https://appshunter.io/developer/1376927835) |

## What reviewers say

### Bunpo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052)

Master speaking, grammar, and vocabulary in over 10 languages with advanced speech recognition and personalized study plans. Progress from beginner to advanced levels with clear explanations and interactive exercises. Learn anytime, anywhere, with features like offline access for some languages.

**Highlights:** Speech recognition for speaking practice, 10+ languages in one app, Detailed grammar explanations, Personalized spaced repetition reviews, Offline access for select languages, JLPT level grammar for Japanese

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunpo Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for learning Japanese
- 👍 Well-designed and organized
- 👍 Explains grammar and usage well
- 👍 Customizable to learning needs
- 👍 Effective spaced repetition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Too much content locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported
- 🐛 Issues with keyboard and text display
- 🐛 Inconsistencies in question answers
- 🔒 Lack of offline access to paid content

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during lesson reviews
- Incorrect answers marked as wrong
- Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
- Audio playback problems

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support for tablets
- Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
- Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
- Add more languages beyond Japanese


### Nihongo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-read-japanese/id1496307364)

Master Japanese characters with interactive flashcards and quizzes. Track your progress and focus on areas needing improvement. Supports Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, with an optional upgrade for full access.

**Highlights:** Flashcard-based character study, Practice quizzes, Progress tracking and analytics, Support for Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, Accuracy indicator for focused study, Dark mode

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Katakana | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle: Katakana And Kyōiku | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kyōiku Kanji | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bunpo free?

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

### Is Nihongo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bunpo or Nihongo?

Nihongo is rated higher. Bunpo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Nihongo averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Bunpo or Nihongo have ads?

Neither Bunpo nor Nihongo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bunpo or Nihongo?

Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, and Nihongo every 9 months. Most recently, Bunpo was updated on November 14, 2026 and Nihongo on November 3, 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.*