Comparison

Learn Japanese vs Japanese Basic

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

Head to head
About

Learn Japanese

Master Japanese for real-life communication with practical phrase-based lessons and synchronized audio-text learning. Build speaking confidence quickly through immersive methods and memorization tools, ideal for beginners and travelers.

Highlights
  • Audio + text synchronization
  • Phrasebook-based lessons
  • Flashcards for memorization
  • Favorites for personalized review
  • 100+ structured learning topics
  • 2000+ useful phrases
Features
Read full description

Learn Japanese with confidence using a practical and modern learning experience designed for real-life communication. Learn Japanese – Lentil helps you quickly build speaking skills through synchronized audio and text, structured phrase-based lessons, and powerful memorization tools. Whether you’re starting from zero, preparing for travel to Japan, or exploring Japanese culture, this Japanese learning app makes it easy to understand, practice, and speak Japanese naturally from day one. Instead of overwhelming you with complex grammar rules, the app focuses on useful Japanese phrases, natural pronunciation, and everyday conversations. Listen to clear native-quality Japanese audio, read along with perfectly synchronized text, and repeat at your own pace. This immersive audio-text method strengthens listening, reading, and speaking together, helping you learn faster and remember Japanese vocabulary more effectively. Key features: • Audio + text synchronization for immersive learning Follow spoken Japanese with precisely timed on-screen text. This powerful listening-reading method improves pronunciation, comprehension, and speaking confidence so you can speak Japanese more naturally. • Practical phrasebook-based lessons Learn essential Japanese phrases organized by real-life situations such as greetings, introductions, transportation, hotels, restaurants, shopping, and daily conversations. Focus on expressions you will actually use. • Flashcards for fast memorization Strengthen your Japanese vocabulary and expressions with simple and effective Japanese flashcards designed to boost recall and support long-term retention. • Favorites to personalize your learning Save important Japanese phrases and words to your favorites list for quick access and focused review whenever you need it. • 100+ structured learning topics Progress through a wide range of carefully organized topics that guide you step by step from beginner basics to confident everyday Japanese communication. • 2000+ useful phrases and expressions Build a strong foundation with a large collection of practical Japanese phrases suitable for beginners, travelers, and daily use. • Designed for beginners and travelers Start learning Japanese with no prior experience. Perfect for visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, communicating with locals, preparing for relocation, or simply enjoying Japanese language and culture. Use Learn Japanese – Lentil during your commute, in short daily sessions, or while preparing for real conversations. Practice with Japanese audio lessons, reinforce reading through synchronized text, and gain confidence speaking with ready-to-use phrases you can apply immediately. If you want a clean, focused, and effective way to learn Japanese at your own pace, Learn Japanese – Lentil provides a premium learning experience that keeps you motivated and progressing steadily. Start today and discover how simple and enjoyable it can be to learn Japanese and communicate with confidence in real-life situations. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.myapp.page/privacy-policy

About

Japanese Basic

Learn basic Japanese vocabulary, characters, and phrases with this beginner-friendly app. It offers offline access, customizable pronunciation, and a red sheet function for effective memorization. Expand your learning with in-app purchases for additional words.

Highlights
  • Basic Japanese vocabulary and phrases
  • Hiragana and Katakana study
  • Offline access
  • Customizable pronunciation and audio speed
  • Red sheet memorization function
  • Verb conjugation guide
  • User vocabulary book
Features
Read full description

This app is for learning Japanese in English. For beginners. The main content is vocabulary and characters, and small quizzes to test your skills are available. Three major features ■Simple and easy to use It is designed to be simple, with no unnecessary content or story elements. This makes it intuitive to use and allows you to quickly find the information you want. ■Available offline This app can be used even without an internet connection. For example, you can use it even if you have just arrived in Japan and do not have an internet connection yet. You can also check the pronunciation. ■Customizable You can choose from two voices for pronunciation: "female" (automatic) and "male" (local native speaker), and you can also change the audio playback speed. In the vocabulary book, you can adjust the display of Japanese to your liking, such as "kanji only," "hiragana only," or "both kanji and hiragana." It also has a red sheet function that is convenient for memorization. [Content details] * 488 basic Japanese vocabulary words Each word includes two example sentences. * 75 phrases From greetings to basic phrases such as "thank you" and "I'm sorry" * Japanese characters You can study "hiragana" and "katakana", as well as pronunciation and stroke order. * Random quiz You can check your vocabulary with multiple choice quizzes. * Verb conjugation This section helps you understand the conjugation of Japanese verbs, which can be particularly confusing. * Search function You can easily find words from the words in the app. Search results are available in both Japanese and English. * Favorites function You can save words you don't remember or are curious about in your favorites list. By compiling them in a list, you can help you overcome words you are weak at. You can also change the order or take multiple choice quizzes only from your favorites list. * User vocabulary book You can make notes of your own unique words in the app. Make notes of words you learn in your daily life. [Upgrade] Many more words can be added by in-app purchases. The added words can also be used in other functions such as multiple choice quizzes and favorites lists. Whether you're planning a trip to Japan, already live there, are studying abroad, or are just interested in Japanese, this app is easy for anyone to use. We hope it will be useful in your Japanese studies. Thank you.

Screenshots

Learn Japanese4 screens
Japanese Basic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Learn Japanese at 4.0 against Japanese Basic's 3.5. Japanese Basic's advantage is iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, 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. Learn Japanese sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Japanese Basic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Learn Japanese holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learn Japanese ships an update every 4 months, Japanese Basic every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Learn Japanese versus Japanese Basic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn JapaneseJapanese Basic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better3.5 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAtech Consultancy LtdSHINGO MATSUO

Customer experience

Learn Japanese

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Japanese Basic

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Learn Japanese

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Yearly Subscription$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$29.99
1 purchases

Japanese Basic

One-time1
  • Japanese Basic -Full Version-$3.99

Questions

Is Learn Japanese free?
Learn Japanese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Japanese Basic free?
Japanese Basic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Learn Japanese or Japanese Basic?
Learn Japanese is rated higher. Learn Japanese averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Japanese Basic averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Learn Japanese or Japanese Basic have ads?
Both Learn Japanese and Japanese Basic show ads.
Which is updated more often, Learn Japanese or Japanese Basic?
Learn Japanese ships an update every 4 months, and Japanese Basic every 3 months. Most recently, Learn Japanese was updated on October 16, 2026 and Japanese Basic on October 14, 2026.

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