# Bunpo vs Nihongo Lessons

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Bunpo at 18K against Nihongo Lessons's 126. Bunpo also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Nihongo Lessons's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 73%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Bunpo against 4.8 for Nihongo Lessons. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Bunpo's written reviews are positive against 85% of Nihongo Lessons's.

Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bunpo | Nihongo Lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052/reviews)** | [4.8 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 126 |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | **84.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 189 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bunpo Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279720051) | [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234) |

## What reviewers say

### Bunpo

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

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunpo Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | 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 | $79.99 | 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 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 |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bunpo free?

Bunpo 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, Bunpo or Nihongo Lessons?

Bunpo is rated higher. Bunpo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Nihongo Lessons averages 4.8 from 126 ratings.

### Do Bunpo or Nihongo Lessons have ads?

Neither Bunpo nor Nihongo Lessons shows ads.

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

Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, and Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bunpo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Nihongo Lessons on September 14, 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.*