Comparison

Kome tabe vs Kototap

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

Head to head
About

Kome tabe

Features
Read full description

Kome Tabe – 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 pronunciation—without needing an internet connection or an account. With a simple and intuitive interface, the app supports effective learning anytime, anywhere.

About

Kototap

Learn Japanese vocabulary and grammar through engaging stories. Words and grammar points are introduced in context and resurface through spaced repetition until mastered. Features include in-context explanations, automatic deck building, and customizable story difficulty.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition in context
  • In-context explanations
  • Automatic vocabulary deck building
  • Grammar pattern tracking
  • Generated stories at user's level
  • Interactive story choices
  • Audio narration
Features
Read full description

Kototap writes short stories around your spaced-repetition deck. Words and grammar are best learned inside sentences doing real work, so that's where your reviews live. Tap a word you don't know, and it repeats in your next stories — until it sticks. What you look up is what you learn • Instant, in-context explanations as you read • Every word you look up joins your deck automatically Words repeat in new stories until they stick • Spaced repetition schedules each word's return inside future stories • Watch words climb from Learning → Familiar → Comfortable, story by story Grammar gets the same treatment • Grammar patterns (〜てしまう, 〜そうだ, …) are tapped, tracked, and repeated just like vocabulary • One system for everything you're learning — no separate grammar study Connect what you've learned • Sync WaniKani, Bunpro or Renshuu, or import an Anki deck • What you already know is woven into your stories, so it gets reinforced instead of forgotten Stories always at your level • Short, engaging stories generated for you — tuned so you understand about 90% on sight • Nine difficulty steps from beginner to native Japanese; move up whenever you're ready • Made for the intermediate plateau — you know a lot of words, but native material still buries you Reading that stays fun • Story decisions let you choose where each story goes next • Listen along with built-in audio narration Spaced repetition, in context — the way words and grammar actually stick. Questions or feedback? Reach me at gary@kototap.com.

Screenshots

Kome tabe4 screens
Kototap4 screens

Verdict

The call

Kome tabe and Kototap are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kome tabe ships an update every 2 weeks, Kototap every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Kome tabe versus Kototap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKome tabeKototap
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size144 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVixon Technology LimitedPounce Studio LLC

In-app purchases

None

Kome tabe

No in-app purchases

None

Kototap

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kome tabe free?
Kome tabe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kototap free?
Kototap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kome tabe or Kototap have ads?
Neither Kome tabe nor Kototap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kome tabe or Kototap?
Kome tabe ships an update every 2 weeks, and Kototap every 9 days. Most recently, Kome tabe was updated on October 16, 2026 and Kototap on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons