Start Japanese vs SakeSaySo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Start Japanese
Learn Japanese from scratch with easy-to-understand illustrations and a step-by-step approach. This app makes practicing characters and common phrases fun, like a game, and is suitable for absolute beginners.
- Easy-to-see illustrations
- Spacious layouts
- Fun, game-like learning
- Activity guides
- Step-by-step learning
- Customized courses
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“Zero kara Sutāto Nihongo” is a Japanese-learning app for beginners, who have never studied Japanese or just started. With the use of easy-to-understand illustrations, learners can effectively learn from Roma-ji to day-to-day expressions. *This app is compatible with a Japanese textbook 『ゼロからスタート 日本語』, published by J Research Press. With a combination use of the app and this book, the learning effect greatly increases. Main Features ●Easy-to-see Illustrations and Spacious Layouts With the illustration even beginners can easily grasp the image of each Japanese word. No Feeling of “Too Much” that learners might have when using other Japanese apps. ●Fun to learn as if you played the app game Just by playing around with this app, you can practice if you remember Japanese characters such as Hiraganas (Japanese alphabet) and their structures. ●Activity Guide All the learning steps begin with activity guides, which illustrates how to use the app. Even app haters can make use of this app. ●Step-by-step Learning Customized for Learner’s level No Difficult Characters All At Once! Workload is adjusted so that learners don’t feel overwhelmed. In addition, based on learners’ level three different courses are offered. With this app learners can get used to the following aspects of Japanese language; *Japanese Characters and Sounds *Japanese Accents and Rhythm *Greetings and Common Phrases *Number *Dates (Year, Month, the Day of the Week) *Time *Food and Beverage *Shopping *Town and Transportation *Buildings and Facility *Belongings *Family and Relatives *Body and Health “Start Japanese" is mainly targeted for: +Japanese beginners with no/little learning experience +Those who have an interest in Japanese language +Those who might want to work in Japan someday +Those who love Japanese culture such as Samurai Spirit, Geisha, animation, kimonos, Japanese movies/dramas etc.
SakeSaySo
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Japanese language and culture with SakeSaySo - a personal guide through the intricacies and delights of comprehending Japan. Born from a personal quest to navigate the language and culture, SakeSaySo was born from a lack of existing tools and features that I craved. Provided, free of charge, free of ads, free of tracking. Key Features: - English-Japanese Dictionary: Over 180,000 entries rich in cultural context and real-world usage, guiding you through the nuances of Japanese communication. - Seamless and Free: Your journey into Japanese culture is uninterrupted. No costs, no ads – just pure, unadulterated learning. - Offline-first: Your learning journey is uninterrupted, available wherever you go, regardless of internet connectivity. This comes at a slightly slower app start and larger bundle size. - Animated Kanji Learning: Visualize each stroke with animated kanji characters on vocabulary pages, enhancing your understanding and memorization of kanji. - SakeScript Customization: Craft your learning path with SakeScript, our open-source format that allows you to customize learning content, making your experience as unique as your taste in sake. Custom content repositories supported. - Daily Cultural Insights: Engage with Japan through daily news and cultural anecdotes, providing both language knowledge and a glimpse into contemporary Japanese life. - Practical Language Decks: Create your personal learning decks with vocabulary and sentences, preparing you for genuine conversations beyond textbook dialogues. - Effective Flashcards: Employing spaced repetition for durable memory retention, making learning both efficient and enjoyable. - Export your learning decks to Anki, ensuring your progress is portable and accessible across different platforms. - Import decks from Anki and the 'Japanese' app, making it simple to integrate your existing resources into our platform. Each kanji, each phrase, opens a window into the rich world of Japanese life and thought. We are here to facilitate your exploration, providing tools and insights for a deeper understanding of Japan. Participate in a collaborative environment where language enthusiasts and cultural explorers converge. Share, learn, and contribute to a community that values authentic experiences and mutual growth. Join us on this adventure of cultural and linguistic exploration, one insightful sip at a time!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Start Japanese at every 4 days against SakeSaySo's every 9 days. Start Japanese also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Start Japanese ships an update every 4 days, SakeSaySo every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Start Japanese | SakeSaySo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 197 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Koji Nakano | KYODO TECH LIMITED LIABILITY CO. |
In-app purchases
Start Japanese
No in-app purchases
SakeSaySo
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Start Japanese free?
Is SakeSaySo free?
Do Start Japanese or SakeSaySo have ads?
Which is updated more often, Start Japanese or SakeSaySo?
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