# BALCOM Nihongo vs Itari

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: BALCOM Nihongo at 15.2 against Itari's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BALCOM Nihongo sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Itari sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BALCOM Nihongo | Itari |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Size | 102 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.2** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Horizontal Line Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781901735) | [Hakan Kumdakci](https://appshunter.io/developer/1672503489) |

## What reviewers say

### BALCOM Nihongo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/balcom-nihongo/id6738698251)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| N3 Course - Part 2 | Free | one-time |
| N3 Course - Part3 | Free | one-time |
| N3 Course - Part 1 | Free | one-time |
| N5 Course - Part 3 | Free | one-time |
| N5 Course - Part 2 | Free | one-time |
| N5 Course - Part3 | Free | one-time |
| N4 Course - Part 1 | Free | one-time |
| N4 Course - Part 2 | Free | one-time |
| N5 Course - Part 1 | Free | one-time |


### Itari

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itari-spaced-repetition/id6756513575)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Itari Premium Monthly | $1.00 | per month |
| Itari Premium Yearly | $8.00 | per year |
| Itari Premium Lifetime Offer | $12.00 | one-time |
| Itari Premium Lifetime | $16.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BALCOM Nihongo free?

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

### Is Itari free?

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

### Do BALCOM Nihongo or Itari have ads?

Neither BALCOM Nihongo nor Itari shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BALCOM Nihongo or Itari?

BALCOM Nihongo ships an update every 6 weeks, and Itari every 6 weeks. Most recently, BALCOM Nihongo was updated on October 6, 2026 and Itari 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.*