Comparison

Sakura NL vs Nihongo Diary

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

Head to head
About

Sakura NL

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
Read full description

Unlock the charm of the Japanese language with Sakura NL, your go-to app for learners of all levels! Whether you're just starting out or aiming to master advanced skills, Sakura NL helps you grow step by step. Dive into video-based lessons designed to make Japanese fun, practical, and engaging. Learn through real-life contexts and cultural insights, all at your pace. Experience Japanese like never before with Sakura NL – your gateway to fluency! 利用規約 https://www.kiyac.app/termsOfService/zVoEeJiDWbgzU2jfapgh

About

Nihongo Diary

Practice writing Japanese daily with AI-powered corrections and explanations. Connect with a community of learners for feedback and motivation, helping you build a consistent study habit and improve fluency.

Highlights
  • Daily Japanese writing prompts
  • AI-powered text correction with furigana
  • Detailed explanations for mistakes
  • Community feedback and interaction
  • Streak tracking and motivation tools
  • Word-tap translation
Features
Read full description

Nihongo Diary — Write Japanese every day. Get it corrected. Keep going. Writing is the fastest way to make Japanese stick — but only if someone corrects you, and only if you keep showing up. Nihongo Diary gives you both. WRITE & GET CORRECTED - Write a short diary entry in Japanese — any level, any length - AI correction shows your corrected text in seconds, with furigana on every kanji - See a natural, native-like version of what you wrote - Understand every fix with clear explanations, key mistakes, and vocabulary - Ask the community: real learners (and their corrections) alongside AI YOU'RE NOT DOING IT ALONE - Share entries to the community feed and cheer each other on - Get corrections and comments from fellow learners around the world - Follow friends, react to entries, and reply to comments - Push notifications remind you to write and tell you when someone responds KEEP YOUR STREAK ALIVE - Daily streaks and milestones keep you motivated - Calendar view of everything you've written - Word-tap translation while reading other learners' entries - Obie, your study buddy, celebrates your progress Made by Tetsu, a native Japanese teacher in Sapporo, for learners who want to actually use their Japanese — not just study it. Free to start. Write your first entry today. Terms of Use: https://nihongodiary.app/terms

Screenshots

Sakura NL4 screens
Nihongo Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sakura NL at 4 against Nihongo Diary's 1. On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Sakura NL sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Nihongo Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Sakura NL against 5.0 for Nihongo Diary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sakura NL ships an update every 8 days, Nihongo Diary every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Sakura NL versus Nihongo Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSakura NLNihongo Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB17 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperYuta TakahashiTetta Taguchi

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Sakura NL

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Premium$59.991 Year
2 purchases

Nihongo Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Plus$9.991 Month
  • Pro$19.991 Month

Questions

Is Sakura NL free?
Sakura NL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nihongo Diary free?
Nihongo Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sakura NL or Nihongo Diary?
Sakura NL and Nihongo Diary are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Sakura NL or Nihongo Diary have ads?
Neither Sakura NL nor Nihongo Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sakura NL or Nihongo Diary?
Sakura NL ships an update every 8 days, and Nihongo Diary every 10 days. Most recently, Sakura NL was updated on October 30, 2026 and Nihongo Diary on October 25, 2026.

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