# Immersion Reader vs Sakura NL

The clearest difference is rating: Sakura NL at 5.0 against Immersion Reader's 4.0. Sakura NL also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 62%). Immersion Reader's advantage is ratings volume (26 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Immersion Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sakura NL sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sakura NL holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Immersion Reader has 26 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Immersion Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sakura NL's.

Immersion Reader ships an update every 6 days, Sakura NL every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Immersion Reader | Sakura NL |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sakura-nl/id6475717882/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 61.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 80 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mathew Chan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441199099) | [Yuta Takahashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1690098795) |

## What reviewers say

### Immersion Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334)

Easily look up Japanese words while reading ebooks with a single tap. Import custom dictionaries and export saved vocabulary for spaced repetition learning. Offers customizable themes for a comfortable reading experience.

**Highlights:** One-tap word lookup in Japanese ebooks, Import Yomichan and frequency dictionaries, Export vocabulary to Anki, Light and dark mode themes, Lookup neighboring words

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Immersion Reader Premium | $4.99 | one-time |


### Sakura NL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sakura-nl/id6475717882)

Learn Japanese through engaging video lessons and real-life contexts. This app supports learners from beginner to advanced levels, making language acquisition fun and practical. Discover Japanese culture and progress at your own pace towards fluency.

**Highlights:** Video-based lessons, Real-life contexts, Cultural insights, Step-by-step learning, All skill levels supported

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Immersion Reader free?

Immersion Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sakura NL free?

Sakura NL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Immersion Reader or Sakura NL?

Sakura NL is rated higher. Immersion Reader averages 4.0 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Sakura NL averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Immersion Reader or Sakura NL have ads?

Neither Immersion Reader nor Sakura NL shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Immersion Reader or Sakura NL?

Immersion Reader ships an update every 6 days, and Sakura NL every 8 days. Most recently, Immersion Reader was updated on October 1, 2026 and Sakura NL on October 2, 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.*