Comparison

Immersion Reader vs Yomu

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

Head to head
About

Immersion Reader

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
Read full description

Look up Japanese words as you read! Features - One tap to look up words in Japanese Ebooks. Tabs to help you look up neighboring words - Import Yomichan dictionaries and frequency dictionaries - Export saved vocabulary to Anki via Anki Dojo - Light mode, dark mode, and other themes for the dictionary

About

Yomu

Features
Read full description

Yomu turns reading Japanese from guesswork into confident understanding. Read real articles, books, and manga excerpts with adaptive furigana, instant offline dictionary, and optional power features—no subscriptions. WHAT MAKES YOMU DIFFERENT • Adaptive Furigana: Match readings to your JLPT level. Hide kanji you know, show help where you need it. • Instant Offline Dictionary: Tap any word for clear definitions—works without a connection. • Difficulty Preview: See an automatic difficulty estimate before you start reading. • Focused Reader: Clean, distraction-free layout for staying in the flow. POWER FEATURES (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) • Camera & OCR Import: Scan printed Japanese and read it with tappable text. • Vocabulary Builder: Save words as you read; export to CSV for Anki. • Reading Stats: Track volume, streaks, and vocabulary growth. SHARE & IMPORT ANYWHERE • Send text from Safari and other apps via the Share menu—no copy-paste. • Keep all your Japanese texts organized in one library and available offline. PRIVACY & PEACE OF MIND • No ads, no subscriptions, no tracking of what you read. • Your library, vocabulary, and stats stay on your device. Privacy policy: https://yomuapp.kulman.sk/privacy

Screenshots

Immersion Reader4 screens
Yomu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Immersion Reader at every 6 days against Yomu's fortnightly. Immersion Reader also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Immersion Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Yomu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Immersion Reader ships an update every 6 days, Yomu fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Immersion Reader versus Yomu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterImmersion ReaderYomu
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (27 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings27 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB128 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMathew ChanIgor Kulman

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Immersion Reader

One-time1
  • Immersion Reader Premium$4.99
1 purchases

Yomu

One-time1
  • Premium$9.99

Questions

Is Immersion Reader free?
Immersion Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Yomu free?
Yomu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Immersion Reader or Yomu have ads?
Neither Immersion Reader nor Yomu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Immersion Reader or Yomu?
Immersion Reader ships an update every 6 days, and Yomu fortnightly. Most recently, Immersion Reader was updated on October 24, 2026 and Yomu on October 24, 2026.

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