# Learn Japanese + vs Nihongo Lessons

Learn Japanese + and Nihongo Lessons both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Learn Japanese +'s written reviews are positive against 85% of Nihongo Lessons's. Learn Japanese + also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17). Nihongo Lessons's advantage is ratings volume (129 vs 17). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn Japanese + sells 2 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 Learn Japanese + against 4.8 for Nihongo Lessons. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nihongo Lessons has 129 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Learn Japanese +'s written reviews are positive against 85% of Nihongo Lessons's.

Learn Japanese + ships an update every 6 weeks, Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn Japanese + | Nihongo Lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-plus/id1512419322/reviews)** | [4.8 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **129** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 84.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 72 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ascendo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/320494153) | [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn Japanese +

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-plus/id1512419322)

This app offers a fun and engaging way to learn Japanese with AI-powered conversational practice and real-life scenario lessons. It features advanced speech recognition for pronunciation practice and allows flexible learning paths.

**Highlights:** AI Virtual Tutor for conversation practice, Real-life scenario lessons, Advanced speech recognition for pronunciation, 101 lessons and 1,190 phrases, Interactive vocabulary and comprehension exercises, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Lessons (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Lessons (1 year) | $49.99 | per year |


### 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 |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for learning Japanese
- 🚀 Well-structured and effective learning format
- 💡 Tailors lessons to user goals
- 👍 Draws from real-life material
- 👍 More intense and serious than Duolingo

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Very expensive to unlock content
- 💰 High cost for full unlock
- 💰 Unlocking sections is costly
- 💰 Pricing is a bit rough
- 💰 Content is repetitive and not varied enough

**Reported bugs**

- Explanation modal flashed and cannot be brought back
- Unclear how to interact with cards (swiping direction)

**Requested features**

- Add notifications
- Add a way to add own notecards for review
- Add meaning and context for some words in dictionary
- Add monthly subscriptions or lower prices
- Add Kanji section


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learn Japanese + free?

Learn Japanese + 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, Learn Japanese + or Nihongo Lessons?

Learn Japanese + is rated higher. Learn Japanese + averages 4.9 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Nihongo Lessons averages 4.8 from 129 ratings.

### Do Learn Japanese + or Nihongo Lessons have ads?

Neither Learn Japanese + nor Nihongo Lessons shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Learn Japanese + or Nihongo Lessons?

Learn Japanese + ships an update every 6 weeks, and Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. Most recently, Learn Japanese + was updated on October 9, 2026 and Nihongo Lessons on October 21, 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.*