# Gengou vs Fast Memo

The clearest difference is rating: Fast Memo at 5.0 against Gengou's 3.8. Fast Memo also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 42 months) and review sentiment (76% vs 66%). Gengou's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Gengou costs $0.99 and Fast Memo $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Fast Memo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Gengou's written reviews are positive against 76% of Fast Memo's.

Gengou ships an update every 42 months, Fast Memo every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gengou | Fast Memo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | $0.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gengou/id288968943/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fast-memo/id323208864/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **76.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 42 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 3 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [bbcddc](https://appshunter.io/developer/308471658) |

## What reviewers say

### Gengou

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gengou/id288968943)

Quickly convert between Japanese era names and Christian era years. Features include era and year searches, period and era pickers, and the ability to display text in Japanese or English.

**Highlights:** Era and Year Search, Period Picker, Era Picker, Christian Era Year Picker, Japanese Era Year Picker, Show This Year Button, Dual Language Support (JP/EN)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Fast Memo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fast-memo/id323208864)

This app provides a simple and intuitive way to jot down quick notes and reminders, functioning like a digital pen and paper. It focuses on essential note-taking without unnecessary features, allowing for easy entry and retrieval of keywords. Memos can be easily shared via email or other cloud services for further organization.

**Highlights:** Quick memo entry, Keyword-based organization, Email memo sharing, Evernote integration, Google Drive upload, Widget support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gengou free?

Gengou costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Fast Memo free?

Fast Memo costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Gengou or Fast Memo?

Fast Memo is rated higher. Gengou averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Fast Memo averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Gengou or Fast Memo have ads?

Neither Gengou nor Fast Memo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gengou or Fast Memo?

Gengou ships an update every 42 months, and Fast Memo every 2 days. Most recently, Gengou was updated on September 26, 2026 and Fast Memo on September 13, 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.*