Comparison

Hello vs KanaLab

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hello

This app provides access to comprehensive language learning courses, including conversational lessons and vocabulary exercises. It utilizes a unique mobile immersion methodology to help users learn quickly and effectively across 13 languages. Access your courses on any mobile device or the web.

Highlights
  • Conversational lessons
  • Vocabulary exercises
  • 13 languages available
  • Mobile and web access
  • Mobile Immersion methodology
  • Interactive animations
Features
Read full description

ATTENTION: Hello-Hello Complete is a free download exclusively to Hello-Hello subscribers to access the content from their mobile devices. Only Hello-Hello subscribers have access to our courses from this app. Hello-Hello Complete offers: Conversational Course: 30 conversational lessons based on real-life situations that will enable you to start communicating effectively from Lesson 1! Vocabulary: More then 1,000 vocabulary words with exercises to practice all skills you need: Read, Write, Speak, Listen! Access to both courses in 13 Languages: Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Hungarian, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Indonesian and Hindi. Access to your courses from any mobile device and from the Web! Unique Mobile Immersion methodology developed in collaboration with The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages - ACTFL LEARN FAST! Put your new language to use today! With Hello-Hello you can learn fast because it is: CONVENIENT: learn from your mobile device anytime, anywhere. EFFECTIVE: research-based innovative mobile immersion methodology that develops all skills you need at your own pace. RELEVANT: learn to communicate about real world topics. FUN: animated videos and interactive exercises. UNIQUE MOBILE IMMERSIONTM Hello-Hello’s innovative Mobile ImmersionTM methodology engages and encourages learners of all ages to acquire usable language skills quickly! Mobile ImmersionTM creates a unique VIRTUAL environment that GUIDES the learner VISUALLY to develop FUNCTIONAL language skills. Mobile Immersion is: VIRTUAL: Creates real-world animated situations in the new language. GUIDED: Builds new vocabulary and phrases to develop language skills. VISUAL: Conveys meaning with animation and game-like activities FUNCTIONAL: Develops the foundation for learners to put their new language skills to use in the real-world fast. ________________________________________________________________________ App features: 2 COURSES: Conversational and Vocabulary 13 LANGUAGES: All languages included: Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Hungarian, Hindi and Indonesian . WORKS ON ALL DEVICES: Access the course from any mobile device & on the Web. RESEARCH-BASED METHODOLOGY: Developed in collaboration with ACTFL - The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, which is the largest and most respected association for language teachers and professionals. ACTFL's proficiency guidelines are followed by all major schools and universities in the U.S. LEARN TO COMMUNICATE: Learn to communicate effectively from LESSON 1! Hello-Hello offers 30 conversational lessons based on real-life situations rather then a collection of out-of-context words and phrases. INTERACTIVE ANIMATIONS AND COMIC STRIPS: Beautiful, fun animated lessons! Meet Paul, Mark and Ann! Follow them on a trip and have fun learning! PRACTICE ALL SKILLS: Games and exercises to practice Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening skills! VOCABULARY BUILDING: Practice vocabulary with our innovative “Build Your Vocabulary” exercise where you can practice vocabulary in the context of a dialogue. Receive “WORD OF THE DAY” notifications to help you memorizing throughout the day. Practice individual words with our Basic Course featuring 7 different modules for learning. NOTES: Save your own notes from within the lessons to review later! LESSON REMINDERS: Don't worry about remembering to study. We will do that for you! TRACK YOUR PROGRESS: Track your lesson and course progress. USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE: Intuitive interface with beautifully designed graphics.

About

KanaLab

Master Japanese Hiragana and Katakana with mnemonics, adaptive reviews, and fun games. This app offers a structured path for beginners to build reading skills through lessons, quizzes, and spaced repetition.

Highlights
  • Learn Hiragana and Katakana with mnemonics
  • Adaptive spaced repetition for memory
  • Interactive quizzes and review sessions
  • Fun learning games (Matching, Falling Kana, etc.)
  • Track mastery and progress
  • Beginner-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Master Hiragana and Katakana through memorable mnemonics, adaptive review, and engaging practice. KanaLab is designed to help beginners build lasting reading skills with lessons, quizzes, games, and spaced repetition that reinforce what you've learned. Whether you're preparing for your first Japanese class, planning a trip to Japan, or beginning your language-learning journey, KanaLab provides a structured path from complete beginner to confident kana reader. Features • Learn every Hiragana and Katakana character with memorable visual mnemonics • Practice using adaptive spaced repetition to strengthen long-term memory • Reinforce your knowledge with interactive quizzes and review sessions • Challenge yourself with fun learning games, including Matching, Falling Kana, Speed Match, Reading Rush, and Boss Battles • Study basic kana, dakuten, handakuten, and combination sounds (yōon) • Track your mastery and monitor your progress as you improve • Clean, beginner-friendly interface designed for focused learning Why KanaLab? Instead of relying on rote memorization, KanaLab helps you connect each character with memorable images and repeated practice. By combining mnemonics, active recall, and gamified learning, you'll retain kana more effectively and stay motivated as you progress. Whether your goal is reading manga, watching anime without subtitles, traveling to Japan, or continuing toward kanji, KanaLab provides the foundation you need. Start your Japanese learning journey today with KanaLab!

Screenshots

Hello4 screens
KanaLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: KanaLab at 100% against Hello's 50%. KanaLab also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.7). Hello's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (63 vs 7). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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. KanaLab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hello asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

KanaLab holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hello has 63 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Hello's written reviews are positive against 100% of KanaLab's.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Hello versus KanaLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHelloKanaLab
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (63 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings63 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 5 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size285 MB140 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperHello-Hello LLCTaylor Moses

Customer experience

Hello

All ratings58 ratings
Positive62.1%
Neutral6.9%
Negative31.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

KanaLab

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Hello

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

KanaLab

One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$4.99

Questions

Is Hello free?
Hello is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is KanaLab free?
KanaLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hello or KanaLab?
KanaLab is rated higher. Hello averages 3.7 out of 5 from 63 ratings, while KanaLab averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Hello or KanaLab have ads?
Neither Hello nor KanaLab shows ads.

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