Comparison

Bunpo vs Breakthrough! Visual Novel

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

Head to head
About

Bunpo

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

Highlights
  • Learn 6 languages
  • Master grammar with detailed explanations
  • Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge
  • Spaced repetition for smart review
  • Interactive quizzes and example sentences
  • Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese
Features
Read full description

Learn languages with Bunpo! Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, English and more! Master speaking, grammar, and vocabulary from beginner to advanced, trusted by over 5 million learners worldwide. From your first Hiragana あ to JLPT N1, from "annyeong" to a real Korean conversation, or any of our 8+ languages, Bunpo takes you from day one to fluency. ========= Why Bunpo works for language learning - Speak from day one: Start speaking from your very first lesson with advanced speech recognition technology. - 8+ languages, one app: Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, and English, and switch between them anytime without juggling multiple apps. - Grammar that makes sense: Detailed explanations in plain English, plus exercises that make it stick. - Smart review: A personalized study plan powered by spaced repetition (SRS) so you remember more, faster. - From the alphabet to advanced: Start with your very first character and build all the way to advanced grammar, whatever language you choose. Whether you're learning for travel, a higher grade, JLPT, a career boost, or just to feel confident in a new conversation, Bunpo's got your back. ========= Japanese Course - Master the Japanese alphabets (Hiragana & Katakana) so you can read menus, train signs, and even your favorite manga without guessing. - Learn Japanese grammar for every JLPT level (N5 to N1) with clear, no-nonsense explanations because "This is a pen" will only get you so far. - Build real-world Japanese vocabulary and kanji knowledge you can actually use in daily conversations, not just in textbooks. - Practice with 1,800+ Japanese example sentences and 8,000+ interactive quizzes designed to make new grammar and vocab stick. - Search any topic instantly in the Japanese grammar dictionary, perfect for "What does that mean again?" moments. - Review smarter, not harder, with a spaced repetition system (SRS) that reminds you before you forget. ========= Korean Course - Master the Korean alphabet (Hangul) with a guided chart, listening, and writing practice. - Build Korean vocabulary you'll actually use in everyday conversations. - Practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking so every skill grows together. ========= Spanish Course - Learn Spanish offline - Master Spanish grammar from A1 to B1 level - Spanish verb conjugation - Perfect your Spanish pronunciation ========= French Course - Learn French offline - Master French grammar from A1 to A2 level - French verb conjugation - Perfect your French pronunciation ========= German Course - Learn German offline - Master German grammar from A1 to C1 level - German verb conjugation - Perfect your German pronunciation ========= Chinese Course - Learn Chinese offline - Master Chinese vocabulary and phrases - Listen, speak, and write Chinese ========= Subscription pricing and terms Bunpo offers an auto-renewing monthly subscription and an auto-renewing yearly subscription to provide you with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses while you maintain an active subscription. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Bunpo also offers a Forever subscription, which is paid for by a one-off upfront payment with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses forever. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://bunpo.app/privacy.html Any feedback? Feel free to contact us at: iphone@bunpo.app

About

Breakthrough! Visual Novel

This educational game helps intermediate language learners improve vocabulary and reading comprehension through interactive stories and flashcards. It offers multiple languages and cultural insights, making learning engaging.

Highlights
  • Vocabulary building mode
  • Interactive story reading
  • Flashcard deck building
  • Unlockable in-game content
  • Multiple language support
  • Cultural exploration
Features
Read full description

BREAKTHROUGH is a visual novel game designed for intermediate language learners to improve their vocabulary and reading skills.  Break through the language learning plateau and expand your lexicon. LANGUAGE CURRENT OFFERED: English French Spanish Russian Japanese FEATURES: Vocab Mode: Build your vocabulary through the Vocab Mode, by matching the vocabulary to the definition. Story Mode: Read original stories in the language of your choice, with each word’s definition available at a single click. You also have access to the full translations for maximum contextual understanding. Deck Building: Collect vocabulary flash cards as you play the game. Add cards to your deck, and train yourself in Free Mode to expand your vocabulary. Daily Tasks: Earn credits by completing daily tasks, and use your credits to unlock images, soundtracks, and more. CULTURAL CONNECTION BREAKTHROUGH emphasizes the power of language to bridge gaps and unite people globally. Language connects us and reminds us how similar we all are, despite our various cultures and countries.  Through BREAKTHROUGH, we will explore the stories of many different characters and cultures, all while learning improving your foreign language skills.

Screenshots

Bunpo4 screens
Breakthrough! Visual Novel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bunpo at 4.9 against Breakthrough! Visual Novel's 3.7. Bunpo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (18K vs 3). Breakthrough! Visual Novel's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Breakthrough! Visual Novel sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bunpo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Bunpo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Breakthrough! Visual Novel's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Bunpo versus Breakthrough! Visual Novel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBunpoBreakthrough! Visual Novel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (18K ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 9 days—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size189 MB732 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBunpo Language LearningEric Ding

Customer experience

Bunpo

All ratings18,012 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews1,129 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative18.2%

Breakthrough! Visual Novel

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Bunpo

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Breakthrough! Visual Novel

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Bunpo

Subscriptions7
  • Bunpo Plus Monthly2 variants$9.991 Month
  • Bunpo Platinum Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Bunpo Platinum Monthly$19.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Bunpo Plus Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Bunpo Plus Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Bunpo Platinum Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Bunpo Platinum Yearly$79.991 Year
One-time2
  • Bunpo Plus Lifetime$39.99
  • Bunpo Plus Lifetime$44.99
3 purchases

Breakthrough! Visual Novel

One-time3
  • Character Pack$4.99
  • Yuri - Story Pack$7.99
  • Jose - Story Pack$7.99

Questions

Is Bunpo free?
Bunpo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Breakthrough! Visual Novel free?
Breakthrough! Visual Novel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bunpo or Breakthrough! Visual Novel?
Bunpo is rated higher. Bunpo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Breakthrough! Visual Novel averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Bunpo or Breakthrough! Visual Novel have ads?
Breakthrough! Visual Novel shows ads; Bunpo does not.

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