# 简明日语 vs 日语U学院

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 简明日语 at none against 日语U学院's 10. 简明日语 also leads on iOS requirement (7.0 vs 12.0). 日语U学院's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (105 vs 9). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 日语U学院 sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. 简明日语 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for 简明日语 against 4.7 for 日语U学院. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 日语U学院 has 105 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of 简明日语's written reviews are positive against 89% of 日语U学院's.

简明日语 ships an update every 3 months, 日语U学院 every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 简明日语 | 日语U学院 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nhk/id514969174/reviews) | [4.7 (105 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/u/id1116864252/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **105** |
| Positive reviews | **90.0% of reviews** | 88.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 290 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [力 彭](https://appshunter.io/developer/514969177) | [Hangzhou Jianyan Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1114425466) |

## What reviewers say

### 简明日语

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nhk/id514969174)

Learn practical Japanese expressions through engaging radio dramas. Follow a character's journey in Tokyo and master 50 basic sentences by the end of the series. This app offers background playback and interactive dialogue for focused learning.

**Highlights:** Radio drama format for lessons, Learn 50 basic Japanese sentences, Character-driven narrative, Background playback, Interactive dialogue playback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 日语U学院

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/u/id1116864252)

Master Japanese pronunciation and vocabulary with interactive lessons and engaging content. Learn through anime, dramas, and songs, with structured courses for all levels, from beginner to JLPT N5.

**Highlights:** Interactive Hiragana with pronunciation and writing, Gamified learning through anime and dramas, Extensive vocabulary with scientific memorization, Interest-based mini-courses, Structured courses for JLPT N5, Real teacher-led lessons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 解锁全部功能(废弃) | $1.99 | one-time |
| 芥末课程 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 解锁所有功能 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 不限时会员 | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1500U钻 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 日语零基础至N5 | $54.99 | one-time |
| 日语N4精讲班 | $109.99 | one-time |
| 日语N3精讲班 | $109.99 | one-time |
| 日语N2精讲班 | $109.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 简明日语 free?

简明日语 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 日语U学院 free?

日语U学院 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, 简明日语 or 日语U学院?

简明日语 and 日语U学院 are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 105 ratings respectively.

### Do 简明日语 or 日语U学院 have ads?

Neither 简明日语 nor 日语U学院 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 简明日语 or 日语U学院?

简明日语 ships an update every 3 months, and 日语U学院 every 5 weeks. Most recently, 简明日语 was updated on October 16, 2026 and 日语U学院 on October 18, 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.*