Comparison

Nihongo Lessons vs Aurea

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

Head to head
About

Nihongo Lessons

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
Read full description

A new app for people serious about becoming fluent in Japanese, from the maker of Nihongo: a modern Japanese dictionary. Nihongo Lessons is based off the excellent Japanese Level Up (Jalup) series, and is made to help all levels of learners. * If you're a complete beginner, the app starts you off by teaching you to write the Japanese alphabets hiragana and katakana, and then quickly starts building your vocabulary and grammar fundamentals. * If you're at an intermediate level, you can jump into content that will help you grow your Japanese grammar, vocabulary, and listening skills more efficiently than ever before. * If you're an advanced learner diving into the world of native content or studying for JLPT N1, Nihongo Lessons can help fill in the gaps in your knowledge with vocabulary and grammar pulled directly from real manga. Instead of a traditional textbook, everything in Nihongo Lessons is in a flashcard format. Flashcards are easier to take in, easier to know how much to learn and how often to review, and simplify the mountain of information you need to absorb. Each flashcard introduces one new sentence for you to understand, and every new sentence introduces exactly one new word, grammar point, or concept. This keeps you constantly moving forward in your learning journey - never bored, never overwhelmed. * Learn to write hiragana and katakana, the main alphabets of the Japanese language. * Progress from beginner to fluent across 7000 handcrafted sentences, each introducing a single new word or concept. * Listen to sentences spoken out loud by a professional voice actor. * Advanced Spaced Repetition (SRS) to help you retain everything you've learned for the long-term. * Nihongo Lessons doesn’t just plop a fun game on top of the language. It engages the brain’s natural urge to solve problems by making learning the language itself the game.

About

Aurea

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Aurea — Daily Wisdom Aurea is a structured daily reflection space built around timeless philosophy. Each day, receive a curated quote from history’s greatest thinkers — and go beyond reading by reflecting, saving, and building a personal archive of insight. This isn’t just a quote feed. It’s a practice. FEATURES: • Daily rotating quote • Per-quote and daily reflection journaling • Reflection streak tracking • Personal reflection archive • Save and revisit meaningful quotes • Browse by philosophy and theme • Light / Dark / System appearance modes • Instant sharing Aurea is designed for intentional use — whether you’re starting your morning, ending your day, or building a habit of reflection. Simple. Structured. Timeless. https://omniascire.com/aurea/privacy

Screenshots

Nihongo Lessons4 screens
Aurea4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Nihongo Lessons at 4.8 against Aurea's 1.0. Nihongo Lessons also leads on ratings volume (129 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Aurea's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Nihongo Lessons sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Aurea asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nihongo Lessons holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nihongo Lessons has 129 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nihongo Lessons ships an update every 3 weeks, Aurea every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Nihongo Lessons versus Aurea: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNihongo LessonsAurea
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (129 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings129 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size258 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSerpenti Sei JapanADAM ARCHULETA

Bugs and requests

Nihongo Lessons

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

11 requests
  • 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
Show 6 more
  • Add Kanji decks
  • Add dark mode
  • Automatically play audio when flipping card
  • Teach word in context, then quiz for understanding using only the Japanese word
  • Surface Japanese definition and make user remember the word
  • Optimize for iPad

Aurea

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Nihongo Lessons

Subscriptions2
  • All Access Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • All Access Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time11
  • Beginner Deck (Discounted)$59.99
  • Champion Deck (Discounted)$59.99
  • Expert Deck (Discounted)$59.99
Show 8 more
  • Master Deck (Discounted)$59.99
  • Intermediate Deck (Discounted)$83.99
  • Beginner Deck (Discounted)$101.99
  • Beginner Deck$119.99
  • All Decks (Discounted)$149.99
  • All Decks (Discounted)$254.99
  • All Decks$299.99
  • All Decks (Discounted)$299.99
None

Aurea

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Nihongo Lessons free?
Nihongo Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aurea free?
Aurea is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Nihongo Lessons or Aurea?
Nihongo Lessons is rated higher. Nihongo Lessons averages 4.8 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while Aurea averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Nihongo Lessons or Aurea have ads?
Neither Nihongo Lessons nor Aurea shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nihongo Lessons or Aurea?
Nihongo Lessons ships an update every 3 weeks, and Aurea every 2 months. Most recently, Nihongo Lessons was updated on October 24, 2026 and Aurea on October 24, 2026.

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