Comparison

MasterNihongoN5 vs BALCOM Nihongo

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

Head to head

MasterNihongoN5

N5 Japanese Nihongo practice

Let's study Japanese anytime,

Free

📚 Education

No ratingsView app →

About

MasterNihongoN5

Features

Read full description

Learn Japanese easily and get ready for the N5 level! Our app offers hands-on, dynamic learning with 25 interactive lessons that include vocabulary, common phrases, and a final exam. Key features: Visual progress to motivate you to advance. Interactive exercises that help you build sentences and improve your understanding. Native audio to perfect your pronunciation. Start now and master basic Japanese in a fun and effective way. Ideal for beginners!

About

BALCOM Nihongo

Features

Read full description

You can access the app from your phone anytime, anywhere, and study Japanese with videos, tests, etc.

Screenshots

MasterNihongoN54 screens

BALCOM Nihongo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BALCOM Nihongo at every 6 weeks against MasterNihongoN5's every 5 months. 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. MasterNihongoN5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and BALCOM Nihongo sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MasterNihongoN5 ships an update every 5 months, BALCOM Nihongo every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level

MasterNihongoN5 versus BALCOM Nihongo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	MasterNihongoN5	BALCOM Nihongo
Price	Free	Free
Update frequency	Every 5 months	Every 6 weeks — better
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	Yes	Yes
Devices	iPhone, iPad, iPod	iPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS	15.0 — better	15.2
Further details — not scored
Size	22 MB	102 MB
Age rating	17+	4+
Developer	Victor Lagunas	Horizontal Line Co.,Ltd.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MasterNihongoN5

One-time1

Nihonga Premiere Pro$0.99

9 purchases

BALCOM Nihongo

One-time9

N3 Course - Part 2Free
N3 Course - Part3Free
N3 Course - Part 1Free

Show 6 more

N5 Course - Part 3Free
N5 Course - Part 2Free
N5 Course - Part3Free
N4 Course - Part 1Free
N4 Course - Part 2Free
N5 Course - Part 1Free

Questions

Is MasterNihongoN5 free?

MasterNihongoN5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Is BALCOM Nihongo free?

BALCOM Nihongo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Do MasterNihongoN5 or BALCOM Nihongo have ads?

Neither MasterNihongoN5 nor BALCOM Nihongo shows ads.

Which is updated more often, MasterNihongoN5 or BALCOM Nihongo?

MasterNihongoN5 ships an update every 5 months, and BALCOM Nihongo every 6 weeks. Most recently, MasterNihongoN5 was updated on October 16, 2026 and BALCOM Nihongo on October 25, 2026.