# Nihongo Lessons vs NihonDojo.ai

The clearest difference is rating: Nihongo Lessons at 4.8 against NihonDojo.ai's 4.1. Nihongo Lessons also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 67%) and ratings volume (126 vs 9). NihonDojo.ai's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nihongo Lessons sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and NihonDojo.ai sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Nihongo Lessons holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nihongo Lessons has 126 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Nihongo Lessons's written reviews are positive against 67% of NihonDojo.ai's.

Nihongo Lessons ships an update every 3 weeks, NihonDojo.ai every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nihongo Lessons | NihonDojo.ai |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews)** | [4.1 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihondojoai/id6749792374/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **126** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **84.8% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 258 MB | 298 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234) | [D Everett Hinton](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796270955) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### NihonDojo.ai

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihondojoai/id6749792374)

This app focuses on efficient Japanese language acquisition through rigorous spaced repetition and context-based learning. It prioritizes fluency over gamified engagement, offering structured grammar, cultural insights, and kana practice to prepare users for real-world conversations.

**Highlights:** Spaced repetition system (FSRS), Contextual sentence generation, Formality switching, Guided writing practice, Structured grammar lessons, Cultural context integration, Kana practice minigame

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NihonDojo Pro Monthly | $6.49 | per month |
| NihonDojo Expert Monthly | $12.95 | per month |
| NihonDojo Pro Annual | $64.99 | per year |
| NihonDojo Expert Annual | $129.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nihongo Lessons free?

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

### Is NihonDojo.ai free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nihongo Lessons or NihonDojo.ai?

Nihongo Lessons is rated higher. Nihongo Lessons averages 4.8 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while NihonDojo.ai averages 4.1 from 9 ratings.

### Do Nihongo Lessons or NihonDojo.ai have ads?

Neither Nihongo Lessons nor NihonDojo.ai shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nihongo Lessons or NihonDojo.ai?

Nihongo Lessons ships an update every 3 weeks, and NihonDojo.ai every 6 days. Most recently, Nihongo Lessons was updated on October 17, 2026 and NihonDojo.ai on October 3, 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.*