# Coban vs Nihon Go

The clearest difference is ads: Nihon Go at none against Coban's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Coban sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Nihon Go sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Coban ships an update weekly, Nihon Go every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Coban | Nihon Go |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (621 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coban-learn-japanese/id1506009508/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **621** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 705 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Akira NOGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506009507) | [One Terrace Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1691826334) |

## What reviewers say

### Coban

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coban-learn-japanese/id1506009508)

Master Japanese grammar, kanji, and vocabulary from beginner to advanced levels. Learn in context with example sentences and audio, and reinforce your knowledge with review tools. Study offline and prepare for JLPT exams with comprehensive content.

**Highlights:** Structured lessons from N5 to N1, 7,500+ vocabulary words, 2,100+ kanji, 490+ grammar points, 12,000+ audio recordings, Offline study mode, SRS review system

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium User | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium User | $39.90 | per 6 months |
| Premium User | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Upgrade | $59.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Cute and genuinely helpful
- 🚀 Great app for learning Japanese
- 🤩 Engaging and fun to use
- 💯 Best kanji practice
- 🙌 Excellent for N5 and N4 levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔇 Volume issues with audio
- 💰 Subscription model with lack of lifetime purchase
- 🤯 Confusing UI and navigation at times
- 🤔 Wonky translations and quiz issues

**Reported bugs**

- Drag and drop feature not working
- Crashes after completing quizzes
- Vocabulary lessons causing the app to freeze

**Requested features**

- Expand to higher JLPT levels (N3, N2, N1)
- Add a placement test to determine user's level
- Improve vocabulary practice and review options
- Offer an ad-free version for a one-time purchase


### Nihon Go

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihon-go/id6739279804)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Plan | $5.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Coban free?

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

### Is Nihon Go free?

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

### Do Coban or Nihon Go have ads?

Coban shows ads; Nihon Go does not.

### Which is updated more often, Coban or Nihon Go?

Coban ships an update weekly, and Nihon Go every 6 days. Most recently, Coban was updated on November 7, 2026 and Nihon Go on October 30, 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.*
