Kome tabe vs Kotoba Snap
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Kome tabe
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Kome Tabe β Learn Japanese for free without the Internet. This is a Japanese learning app for beginners that helps you get familiar with the alphabet, vocabulary, and pronunciationβwithout needing an internet connection or an account. With a simple and intuitive interface, the app supports effective learning anytime, anywhere.
Kotoba Snap
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Snap a photo. Turn the Japanese words in it into flashcards. Menus, street signs, packaging, a page of a novel β whenever you run into Japanese you don't know, just photograph it. Kotoba Snap recognizes the text, splits it into words, and lets you pick the ones worth learning. Interface languages: English and Simplified Chinese. The app starts in Simplified Chinese β switch to English under Settings β Language. Japanese interface is not available yet. Β· Photo to text β handles vertical Japanese, recognized on your device Β· Instant lookup β offline dictionary with readings, part of speech, JLPT level Β· Read it again β recognized text is kept with the photo, readable with furigana any time, and still selectable while furigana is on Β· Build cards by hand β written form, reading, meaning, part of speech and JLPT level, with dictionary lookup while you edit Β· Verb conjugation β expand any verb into its full set of forms and usages, with transitive and intransitive marked Β· Spaced review β scheduling handled for you, no deciding when to revisit Β· Source photos β browse cards grouped by the picture you found them in Β· Reference translation β Japanese sentences translated into Simplified Chinese on your device. Requires iOS 18 or later and the Simplified Chinese interface; one language pack is downloaded the first time, offline after that. A Japanese-to-English path is not available yet. Β· AI translation β optional, off by default. Enter your own API key and the recognized text can be translated by Claude, ChatGPT or DeepSeek. Photos are never sent, and the key stays on this device. Note: definitions are provided in Simplified Chinese and English. No account. No sign-up. The dictionary ships with the app: capture, recognition, lookup and review all run on your device and need no network. The reference-translation language pack is downloaded once on first use, and works offline after that. AI translation is optional and off by default; once you enable it and enter your own API key, translating sends the recognized text to the provider you chose.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Kotoba Snap at every 3 days against Kome tabe's every 2 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Kome tabe ships an update every 2 weeks, Kotoba Snap every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kome tabe | Kotoba Snap |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 β better | 15.5 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 144 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vixon Technology Limited | YINGDE YANG |
In-app purchases
Kome tabe
No in-app purchases
Kotoba Snap
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Kome tabe free?
Is Kotoba Snap free?
Do Kome tabe or Kotoba Snap have ads?
Which is updated more often, Kome tabe or Kotoba Snap?
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