Comparison

JP Katakana:カタカナ vs Nihongo Quest Study

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

Head to head
About

JP Katakana:カタカナ

Features
Read full description

In Japan, we are taught how to read and write Katakana ( カタカナ ) during the first grade (Age 6). Once you got it, you would be able to write a letter or mail in Japanese however the face of the mail, that written in Japanese used only Katakana, would be unnatural. The reason why it seems to be bizarre is that Katakana ( カタカナ ) is supposed to be used to basically describe Imported words. Here is an example. Let’s say, if you want to say that you ate an omelet this morning. If you only use Hiragana to write this, it would be (A) わたし は けさ おむれつ を たべた  [watasi wa kesa omuretu wo tabeta]. Then, if you replace some words with Kanji character, it would be (B) 私 は 今朝 おむれつ を 食べた  [watasi wa kesa omuretu wo tabeta]. And then, if you replace an imported word with Katakana, it would be (C) 私 は 今朝 オムレツ を 食べた  [watasi wa kesa omuretu wo tabeta]. Even though the face of (C) is different from the face of (A) and (B), all of them are exactly the same meaning. What is difference between (A) and (B) is that 4 words are replace to Kanji characters. And, what is difference between (B) and (C) is that 1 word is replace to Katakana characters. If you see a sentence (C), you will notice that there are some Hiragana letters and wonder why these letters are still written in Hiragana. The answer to your question is that these are the letters that are not replaceable to Kanji and Katakana letters. I might have written a lot about Japanese letters though; I hope that you are still with me. What you would see in this app is a list of Katakana letters. If you tap one of those letters, you can practice how to draw its letter. After practicing to draw a single Katakana letter, you would also practice many imported words written in Katakana as well. Enjoy drawing Katakana letters!

About

Nihongo Quest Study

Features
Read full description

Nihongo Quest Study is your interactive companion for learning Japanese, designed for all levels from beginner to advanced. Practice with daily quizzes and word games Prepare for JLPT exams with targeted content Track your progress and streaks Enjoy a beautiful, distraction-free interface Learn kanji, vocabulary, and reading in context Whether you’re starting your Japanese journey or aiming for JLPT N1, Nihongo Quest Study makes learning efficient and enjoyable. Join thousands of learners and level up your Japanese today!

Screenshots

JP Katakana:カタカナ4 screens
Nihongo Quest Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Nihongo Quest Study at none against JP Katakana:カタカナ's shown. Nihongo Quest Study also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 12 months). JP Katakana:カタカナ's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.1). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JP Katakana:カタカナ ships an update every 12 months, Nihongo Quest Study every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
JP Katakana:カタカナ versus Nihongo Quest Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJP Katakana:カタカナNihongo Quest Study
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size141 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHajime SasakiABINASH ADHIKARI

In-app purchases

None

JP Katakana:カタカナ

No in-app purchases

None

Nihongo Quest Study

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JP Katakana:カタカナ free?
JP Katakana:カタカナ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nihongo Quest Study free?
Nihongo Quest Study is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do JP Katakana:カタカナ or Nihongo Quest Study have ads?
JP Katakana:カタカナ shows ads; Nihongo Quest Study does not.
Which is updated more often, JP Katakana:カタカナ or Nihongo Quest Study?
JP Katakana:カタカナ ships an update every 12 months, and Nihongo Quest Study every 5 days. Most recently, JP Katakana:カタカナ was updated on October 10, 2026 and Nihongo Quest Study on October 7, 2026.

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