Comparison

Nihongo Lessons vs Gizmo's Math Arcade

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

Gizmo's Math Arcade

Features
Read full description

Gizmo's Math Arcade turns addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division into a playable adventure. Discover all 12 worlds, and 6 arcade style mini-games. MAKE MATH AN ADVENTURE, NOT A CHORE Join Gizmo on a whimsical journey through glittering Gem Caves, a Spooky Manor, Outer Space, the Deep Dive and more. Every level is a path-finding puzzle: find the equations that match the target and clear a trail through the board. Kids are solving dozens of math facts per level; it just feels like exploring. • 12 hand-crafted worlds, each with its own music, sounds, and surprises • 6 arcade mini-games: pop equation bubbles, build number sentences, race lanes, go fishing, and more • 4 math operations covered: +, −, ×, ÷, and missing-number puzzles, all the way through the 12s • Difficulty that grows with your child, challenging enough to make them think, fun enough to keep them playing. • Earn stars, unlock worlds, and collect wins that keep players coming back BUILT FOR REAL FLUENCY Behind the adventure is a serious practice engine. The Math Log tracks every one of the core math facts and shows you exactly which ones your child has mastered, which are coming along, and which need attention — the kind of insight a boring flash-card box can't give you. MADE FOR FAMILIES, NOT ADVERTISERS • No ads. No subscriptions. No tracking. • Free to try. One single purchase unlocks everything, forever. • Family Sharing means everyone in the family can play. Explore exciting worlds and watch math confidence happen.

Screenshots

Nihongo Lessons4 screens
Gizmo's Math Arcade4 screens

Verdict

The call

Nihongo Lessons and Gizmo's Math Arcade are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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 and Gizmo's Math Arcade sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Nihongo Lessons versus Gizmo's Math Arcade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNihongo LessonsGizmo's Math Arcade
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (126 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings126 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS1717.0
Further details — not scored
Size258 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSerpenti Sei JapanOdyssey Logic LLC

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

Gizmo's Math Arcade

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
1 purchases

Gizmo's Math Arcade

One-time1
  • Full Unlock$7.99

Questions

Is Nihongo Lessons free?
Nihongo Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gizmo's Math Arcade free?
Gizmo's Math Arcade is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nihongo Lessons or Gizmo's Math Arcade have ads?
Neither Nihongo Lessons nor Gizmo's Math Arcade shows ads.

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