# Nihongo Master Dictionary vs Kana Bento

The clearest difference is price: Nihongo Master Dictionary at Free against Kana Bento's $2.99. Nihongo Master Dictionary also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). Kana Bento's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Nihongo Master Dictionary is free to download; Kana Bento costs $2.99 up front. Nihongo Master Dictionary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Kana Bento asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nihongo Master Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nihongo Master Dictionary has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Nihongo Master Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 100% of Kana Bento's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Nihongo Master Dictionary ships an update every 21 months, Kana Bento every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nihongo Master Dictionary | Kana Bento |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-master-dictionary/id1672167556/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-bento/id6780146152/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 242 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nihongo Master](https://appshunter.io/developer/1672167558) | [Adrian Gray](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780146154) |

## What reviewers say

### Nihongo Master Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-master-dictionary/id1672167556)

This Japanese dictionary app helps users quickly find words and kanji with example sentences and JLPT levels. Create custom study lists and use flashcards to build vocabulary. It also offers popular study lists for common situations like travel and work.

**Highlights:** Word and kanji lookup, Example sentences, Related kanji information, JLPT level indicators, Custom study lists, Flashcard vocabulary builder, Popular situational study lists

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Kana Bento

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-bento/id6780146152)

Learn Hiragana and Katakana through an engaging drag-and-drop game. Practice matching characters to their Romaji with native speaker audio. Ideal for beginners and those reviewing Japanese scripts.

**Highlights:** Drag-and-drop kana matching, Native speaker audio, Romaji, Hiragana, and Katakana recognition, Timed challenges, Focus on core kana, Distraction-free design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nihongo Master Dictionary free?

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

### Is Kana Bento free?

Kana Bento costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nihongo Master Dictionary or Kana Bento?

Nihongo Master Dictionary is rated higher. Nihongo Master Dictionary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Kana Bento averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Nihongo Master Dictionary or Kana Bento have ads?

Nihongo Master Dictionary shows ads; Kana Bento does not.

### Which is updated more often, Nihongo Master Dictionary or Kana Bento?

Nihongo Master Dictionary ships an update every 21 months, and Kana Bento every 4 days. Most recently, Nihongo Master Dictionary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Kana Bento on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*