Comparison

CJE Dictionary vs Nihongo Ride

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

Head to head
About

CJE Dictionary

Features
Read full description

CJE Dictionary is aimed towards those who are familiar with simplified Chinese characters and the English language. Feature List - Japanese -> English, Chinese, Japanese dictionaries - Romaji and Simplified Chinese searching (Auto convert Romaji to Hiragana and 简体字 to 新字体) - Kanji dictionary - Conjugation Charts

About

Nihongo Ride

This app teaches Japanese kana, vocabulary, and sentences through a typing game. It features a smart review system and multiple game modes to help users progress. The app works offline and is designed with user privacy in mind.

Highlights
  • Learn kana, vocabulary, and sentences
  • Smart spaced-repetition review
  • Built-in mini-IME with romaji input
  • Journey, Time Attack, and Practice modes
  • 7,000+ words and example sentences
  • Offline functionality
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

Nihongo Ride is a calm, focused typing-practice app that actually teaches you Japanese. Most typing games test speed. Nihongo Ride teaches — kana, vocabulary, and real sentences — while you ride your way across Japan, from Tokyo to Kyoto. Type the correct reading and you move forward. Miss a word and it comes back later, exactly when you need it. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT • A built-in mini-IME. Type romaji on your normal keyboard — no system IME, no setup. It accepts every valid spelling (shi or si, tsu or tu, n or nn) and matches your keystrokes to kana in real time. • Learn, don't just race. Every word shows its kana, an optional romaji hint, and its meaning in English and Chinese. • Smart review. Words you mistype flow into a spaced-repetition queue (SM-2), so your practice targets your real weak spots. THREE WAYS TO RIDE • Journey — an immersive ride across Japan; type to keep moving and unlock famous stops. • Time Attack — 60 seconds, as many words as you can. • Practice — a quiet, distraction-free mode for word drills or long passages, with an optional BLIND challenge that hides all romaji hints. CONTENT • 7,000+ words across JLPT N5 to N1, with English and Chinese meanings. • Example sentences and 233 reading passages — from everyday greetings to short literary paragraphs. • Katakana loanwords supported, with foreign-sound digraphs. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Works fully offline. No sign-up and no account with the developer, no ads, no tracking, and no analytics of any kind. The one optional in-app purchase is handled by the App Store, through your own Apple Account. • Your progress stays on your device. Optional iCloud sync uses your own private iCloud database, which the developer cannot see inside, and the app is fully usable with it switched off. Whether you're starting N5 or polishing N1, Nihongo Ride turns daily typing into real Japanese progress. Hop on and ride.

Screenshots

CJE Dictionary4 screens
Nihongo Ride4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CJE Dictionary at none against Nihongo Ride's 1. CJE Dictionary also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Nihongo Ride sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CJE Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CJE Dictionary ships an update daily, Nihongo Ride every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
CJE Dictionary versus Nihongo Ride: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCJE DictionaryNihongo Ride
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHunter HanYuhe Ye

In-app purchases

None

CJE Dictionary

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Nihongo Ride

One-time1
  • The Road West$0.99

Questions

Is CJE Dictionary free?
CJE Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nihongo Ride free?
Nihongo Ride is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CJE Dictionary or Nihongo Ride have ads?
Neither CJE Dictionary nor Nihongo Ride shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CJE Dictionary or Nihongo Ride?
CJE Dictionary ships an update daily, and Nihongo Ride every 3 days. Most recently, CJE Dictionary was updated on November 4, 2026 and Nihongo Ride on November 5, 2026.

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