# SUGOI vs Nihongo Lessons

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SUGOI at 100% against Nihongo Lessons's 85%. SUGOI also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SUGOI sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 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.

SUGOI ships an update every 5 weeks, Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SUGOI | Nihongo Lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.8 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **126** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 84.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 258 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [StudyPeaks](https://appshunter.io/developer/901134689) | [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234) |

## What reviewers say

### SUGOI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sugoi-japanese-learning-app/id1601042064)

Practice speaking Japanese with interactive characters in this app. It offers a fun and easy way to learn vocabulary and phrases, providing a comprehensive Japanese learning experience without needing a real person.

**Highlights:** Practice speaking Japanese with characters, Learn Japanese words and phrases, Interactive speaking exercises, Fun and easy learning experience, Premium plan for full feature access

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| sugoi_premium_plan | $2.99 | per month |


### 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 SUGOI free?

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

### Is Nihongo Lessons free?

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

### Do SUGOI or Nihongo Lessons have ads?

Neither SUGOI nor Nihongo Lessons shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SUGOI or Nihongo Lessons?

SUGOI ships an update every 5 weeks, and Nihongo Lessons every 3 weeks. Most recently, SUGOI was updated on September 16, 2026 and Nihongo Lessons on October 17, 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.*