# Japanese Kana vs Japanese Basic

The clearest difference is rating: Japanese Kana at 4.5 against Japanese Basic's 3.5. Japanese Kana also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Japanese Kana sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Japanese Basic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Japanese Kana holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively.

Japanese Kana ships an update every 5 months, Japanese Basic every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Japanese Kana | Japanese Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japanese-kana/id553420394/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japanese-basic-nihongo/id1525602347/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 74 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [世木 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/528007397) | [SHINGO MATSUO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493414113) |

## What reviewers say

### Japanese Kana

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japanese-kana/id553420394)

Learn Japanese hiragana and katakana with pronunciation, stroke order, and writing practice. Features high-quality audio, smooth animations, and an intuitive interface. Supports a wide range of Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Kana pronunciation, Stroke order guidance, Writing practice, High-quality audio, Smooth animations, Multi-device support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### Japanese Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japanese-basic-nihongo/id1525602347)

Learn basic Japanese vocabulary, characters, and phrases with this beginner-friendly app. It offers offline access, customizable pronunciation, and a red sheet function for effective memorization. Expand your learning with in-app purchases for additional words.

**Highlights:** Basic Japanese vocabulary and phrases, Hiragana and Katakana study, Offline access, Customizable pronunciation and audio speed, Red sheet memorization function, Verb conjugation guide, User vocabulary book

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Japanese Basic -Full Version- | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Japanese Kana free?

Japanese Kana is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Japanese Basic free?

Japanese Basic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Japanese Kana or Japanese Basic?

Japanese Kana is rated higher. Japanese Kana averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Japanese Basic averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Japanese Kana or Japanese Basic have ads?

Japanese Basic shows ads; Japanese Kana does not.

### Which is updated more often, Japanese Kana or Japanese Basic?

Japanese Kana ships an update every 5 months, and Japanese Basic every 3 months. Most recently, Japanese Kana was updated on October 21, 2026 and Japanese Basic on October 14, 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.*