Comparison

Cantonese by Nemo vs Cantonese Guru

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

Head to head
About

Cantonese by Nemo

Learn Cantonese with this app that focuses on essential words and phrases, featuring native speaker audio and speech recognition for accent improvement. It's designed for flexible learning, allowing you to practice anytime, anywhere, even offline.

Highlights
  • Native speaker audio
  • Speech Studio for accent practice
  • Offline access to all audio
  • Customizable learning path
  • Progress tracking
  • Vocabulary quizzes
  • Review mode for memory retention
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch into your FAVORITE teacher of Cantonese. ◆ The most essential words and phrases of the language, each with native speaker audio. ◆ Master your accent with the Speech Studio. Simply record yourself saying a phrase and then hear your voice next to the teacher’s. You’ll be AMAZED how quickly your foreign accent melts away. ◆ All audio is downloaded to the device and accessible even in airplane mode or without expensive international roaming fees. ◆ Nemo is NOT BUILT AROUND LESSONS at all. It is meant to be picked up and put down throughout the day, whenever you have a few minutes to spare. ◆ Builds a foundation of Cantonese empowering you to speak CONFIDENTLY in EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONS. ◆ NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE of Cantonese required. Nemo® is specially DESIGNED to tap the remarkable power of your mobile device, and your brain, to their fullest. PERSONALIZED FOR YOU Nemo is your personal trainer, tracking your PROGRESS across every single word and phrase. ◆ Practice Cantonese the way you'll use it. Nemo is fully customizable. ◆ Nemo immerses you in the sounds of Cantonese so you naturally speak with ease. ◆ Dive into WHAT YOU WANT to learn at any time. ◆ You control which words to practice – skip words you don’t want to learn or already know. ◆ Turn on Review Mode to study what you practiced earlier in the day to BOOST your memory retention. ◆ Hear English descriptions of all words, in a flashcard format. ◆ Quiz your mastery of the vocabulary. ◆ Nemo introduces words to you progressively to develop familiarity and reviews them at the right moment so they enter your LONG TERM MEMORY. TARGET THE MOST COMMON WORDS Maximize your time investment by targeting the most basic and high frequency words of the language. Upgrade to the complete version to: ◆ Get off the beaten path or find comfort with DIRECTIONS, TRAVEL and HOTEL phrases. ◆ Decode menus with the most common FOOD words. ◆ Shop and find bargains like an insider with must-know SHOPPING phrases. ◆ Learn words useful for your time in hong kong. ◆ Build your proficiency with the most important verbs and SENTENCE BUILDING BLOCKS in Cantonese. ◆ Spark new friendships with COMPLIMENTS and CONVERSATION STARTERS. Use your new skills to make friends, impress old friends, bring smiles to children, get out of jams, experience new things, speak confidently, and make your travel and cultural experience more rich and fulfilling. Download this FREE app now! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Cantonese Guru

Master Cantonese with a structured approach to vocabulary, writing, tones, and pronunciation. This app offers intelligent review sessions and customizable study lists, acting as both a learning tool and a comprehensive reference.

Highlights
  • Vocabulary and character study
  • Stroke-by-stroke character writing
  • Tone and pronunciation training
  • Spaced repetition system (SRS) reviews
  • Listening and reading practice
  • Customizable study lists
  • Comprehensive Cantonese dictionary
Features
Read full description

Learning Cantonese Chinese takes time, structure, and consistency. Cantonese Guru is designed for learners who want to progress seriously and sustainably, from beginner to advanced levels. Whether you are studying Cantonese at university, preparing for language exams, or learning out of personal interest, the app helps you develop all essential skills at your own pace. Cantonese Guru works both as a learning app and as a daily Cantonese reference tool, helping you build real, lasting skills. It fully supports traditional and simplified Chinese characters, as well as Cantonese-specific forms. — A COMPLETE AND STRUCTURED APPROACH Cantonese Guru combines active learning, intelligent reviews, and high-quality reference tools to support long-term memorization. • Vocabulary and Cantonese character study • Stroke-by-stroke Chinese character writing • Tone and pronunciation training • Smart review sessions based on spaced repetition (SRS) • Listening and reading practice adapted to Cantonese — CUSTOM & DOWNLOADABLE STUDY LISTS Cantonese Guru lets you study efficiently with ready-made and personalized content. • Downloadable word lists inspired by common Cantonese textbooks and learning programs • Curated vocabulary sets by level and topic • Create your own custom lists directly from the dictionary • Focus your study on exactly what you need, at your own pace This flexible system allows you to work on specific themes, reinforce weak points, or build personalized study paths. — A SERIOUS LEARNING TOOL, NOT A GIMMICK APP Cantonese Guru includes: • A comprehensive Cantonese dictionary (140,000+ entries) • Search by Cantonese, Jyutping, Yale, or English • Radical- and key-based character search • Handwriting input for character lookup • Customizable word lists and detailed entry information • Reference tools dedicated to the Cantonese language The app is used as both a reference and learning tool by students, self-learners, and language enthusiasts who want to progress with method and clarity. — SUBSCRIPTIONS Full access to all features requires a subscription. • 1-week free trial (except lifetime plan) • Automatic renewal, cancel anytime Available plans: • 1 month • 6 months • 12 months • Lifetime (one-time purchase) — LEGAL INFORMATION Privacy Policy: https://www.xamisoft.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.xamisoft.com/cgu

Screenshots

Cantonese by Nemo4 screens
Cantonese Guru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Cantonese by Nemo at 1.7K against Cantonese Guru's 3. Cantonese by Nemo also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). Cantonese Guru's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Cantonese by Nemo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cantonese Guru sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cantonese Guru holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cantonese by Nemo has 1.7K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Cantonese by Nemo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cantonese Guru's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cantonese by Nemo ships an update every 2 months, Cantonese Guru every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Cantonese by Nemo versus Cantonese Guru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCantonese by NemoCantonese Guru
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.7K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews89.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.7K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB464 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNemo Apps LLCSamuel REAUD

Customer experience

Cantonese by Nemo

All ratings1,696 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews178 reviews
Positive89.3%
Neutral4.5%
Negative6.2%

Cantonese Guru

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Cantonese by Nemo

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Upgrade button not working
  • Incompatibility issues between devices
  • Inconsistent tone/pronunciation in some words

Requested features

5 requests
  • More advanced lessons and sentence building
  • Ability to sync progress across devices
  • Addition of more vocabulary and phrases
  • Inclusion of traditional Chinese characters
  • Improved user interface and customization options

Cantonese Guru

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Cantonese by Nemo

One-time1
  • Nemo Cantonese Foundation pack$14.99
5 purchases

Cantonese Guru

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Six Months7 Days trial$17.996 Months
  • Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime subscription$42.99
  • Lifetime subscription$79.99

Questions

Is Cantonese by Nemo free?
Cantonese by Nemo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cantonese Guru free?
Cantonese Guru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cantonese by Nemo or Cantonese Guru?
Cantonese Guru is rated higher. Cantonese by Nemo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Cantonese Guru averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Cantonese by Nemo or Cantonese Guru have ads?
Neither Cantonese by Nemo nor Cantonese Guru shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cantonese by Nemo or Cantonese Guru?
Cantonese by Nemo ships an update every 2 months, and Cantonese Guru every 2 weeks. Most recently, Cantonese by Nemo was updated on September 21, 2026 and Cantonese Guru on September 23, 2026.

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