Comparison

Shaded Learning vs My Nihongo

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

Head to head
About

Shaded Learning

Master Japanese vocabulary and grammar using spaced repetition and advanced language models. The app intelligently parses your answers, reinforcing incorrect words and strategically using correct ones to build new sentences for faster learning.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition system
  • Language model integration
  • Intelligent answer parsing
  • Vocabulary acquisition
  • Grammar learning
  • Sentence building
Features
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Shaded learns where language breaks down for you. Practice real sentences in Japanese, Spanish, and English. Get feedback tied to the exact words, patterns, and skills you missed. Then keep moving through lessons built around what you're ready to use next. NOT FLASHCARDS. NOT A FIXED COURSE. NOT A CHATBOT. Shaded is a guided learning system that watches how you answer, finds the weak spots underneath, and turns them into your next useful practice step. • No deck maintenance — review comes from your live mistakes and due skills, not from cards you build, tag, and prune yourself. • No one-size-fits-all path — two learners practicing the same language see different prompts, because their weak spots are different. • No ungrounded chat drift — AI practice is paired with dictionary anchors, reviewed material, and source-backed examples. IT LEARNS THE PIECES, NOT JUST THE SENTENCE Every sentence you practice is broken into its real units — words, particles, patterns — and each is tracked on its own: • Grounded, not guessed: checked against real dictionaries and sources, not an AI's hunch. • One meaning, many forms: 食べる, 食べます, and 食べた are one thing to learn, not three cards. • Known by skill: reading a word isn't saying it. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are tracked separately. MODES THAT SHARE ONE LEARNER MODEL • Flow — focused practice built from recent misses, due review, and your level. • Passage — read and listen to longer material chosen for what you're ready for. • Goals & concepts — see what's due, what changed, and what to do next. • Voyage — your progress as a route you can watch advance. Daily study moves the ship. BUILT FOR REAL LANGUAGE PAIRS English speakers learning Japanese (kana, particles, readings, and sentence patterns, with scaffolding that eases off as things stick) or Spanish (verbs, agreement, and listening in real sentences) — and Japanese or Spanish speakers learning English, with explanations in your language where they help. SYNCED WITH THE WEB Start on your phone; continue at shaded.app in any browser. The weaknesses Shaded finds on your commute become the focused session you finish at your desk. Built for the messy middle — the stretch between knowing a rule and using it naturally. Shaded keeps learning from what happens when you try to use the language. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

My Nihongo

Features
Read full description

Feature Highlights: - JLPT Preparation Made Easy Includes sample vocabulary and sentences for all JLPT levels (N5–N1). - Flexible Note‑Taking Organize your Japanese study notes as free‑form text or structured vocabulary and sentence lists. - Vocabulary Radio (New!) Hands‑free listening mode that continuously plays the vocabularies you want to learn. - Quick Note Creation Instantly create notes from clipboard text or auto‑extract segments from non‑empty lines in a document. - Personalized Quizzes Turn your notes into quiz questions to practice the exact vocabulary and sentences you want to master. - Natural Pronunciation Practice Hear your notes spoken aloud with Apple’s built‑in text‑to‑speech, now respecting your chosen Japanese voice under Accessibility settings. - Streamlined Study Experience Improved tab arrangement, Study screen layout, and unified quiz design for a smoother, more consistent workflow. - Intuitive Editing Tools Refined workflows for building sentences, vocabularies, and multiple note types with a user‑friendly interface.

Screenshots

Shaded Learning4 screens
My Nihongo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: My Nihongo at none against Shaded Learning's 1. My Nihongo also leads on ads (none vs shown). Shaded Learning's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price 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. Shaded Learning sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. My Nihongo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shaded Learning ships an update weekly, My Nihongo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Shaded Learning versus My Nihongo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShaded LearningMy Nihongo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size283 MB25 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperShadedDaniel Fu Keung Kwan

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Shaded Learning

Subscriptions1
  • Shaded Monthly$3.991 Month
None

My Nihongo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shaded Learning free?
Shaded Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is My Nihongo free?
My Nihongo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shaded Learning or My Nihongo have ads?
Shaded Learning shows ads; My Nihongo does not.
Which is updated more often, Shaded Learning or My Nihongo?
Shaded Learning ships an update weekly, and My Nihongo fortnightly. Most recently, Shaded Learning was updated on September 17, 2026 and My Nihongo on August 31, 2026.

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