Hanashi vs NihonGo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hanashi
This app focuses on practical speaking skills for language learners. It uses guided lessons and real-life scenarios to build confidence and fluency, offering real-time feedback to improve pronunciation and natural speech. Move beyond flashcards and grammar drills to actually speaking the language.
- Guided speaking lessons
- Real-time feedback
- Roleplay scenarios
- Adaptive tutoring
- Structured progress tracking
- Speaking-first approach
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Hanashi is a language learning app built around real speaking practice, not boring study. Instead of spending most of your time on flashcards, grammar drills, or reading exercises, Hanashi gets you using the language in real conversation from the beginning. Whether you are learning Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Arabic, Hanashi is the only app that will get you actually speaking the language. Hanashi's method is simple: 1. Find your level and goals. Hanashi starts by learning where you are now, how confident you feel, and what you want to achieve. 2. Learn through guided speaking lessons. Hanashi lessons are designed to actually teach, not just test. Your tutor introduces useful words, phrases, and sentence patterns, explains them clearly, and then gets you to use them yourself. You learn by speaking, responding, and building confidence one step at a time. 3. Get feedback while you practice. As you speak, Hanashi gives real-time help so you can adjust and improve as you go. Your tutor adapts to your level, keeps explanations clear, and helps you sound more natural. 4. Use what you learned in a real life scenario. After learning key ideas in a lesson, you put them into action in a real world roleplay scenario. Hanashi helps turn study into usable speaking ability. 5. Keep improving with structured progress. Hanashi gives you guided progression, and speaking practice that grows with you over time. Whether you are an absolute beginner or already conversational, the experience is designed to keep moving you toward real fluency and confidence. Why learners use Hanashi: - Real speaking practice instead of boring study - Guided lessons that teach and check understanding - Adaptive tutoring based on your level - Immersive roleplay and conversation scenarios - Instant feedback to help you improve naturally - A speaking-first approach built for real-life use Hanashi is especially strong for learners who want to stop freezing when it is time to speak. If you struggle to actually use the language in conversation, Hanashi is built for you. Whether you are learning Japanese, starting Korean, improving Chinese, or practicing any of our supported languages, Hanashi helps you move from understanding the language to actually speaking it. A subscription is required to unlock the full Hanashi experience. Privacy policy: https://hanashiapp.com/privacy Terms of use: https://hanashiapp.com/terms Licence Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
NihonGo
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Master Japanese step by step — from your first hiragana letter to real conversations. NihonGo isn't just a flashcard app. It's a complete Japanese course, built for the parts of the language generic apps skim over. Whether you're here for anime, manga, J-pop, JLPT prep, Tokyo travel, or heritage reasons — NihonGo meets you at your level and walks you through the tricky parts with clarity. A COMPLETE JAPANESE COURSE • Structured unit-by-unit curriculum — beginner to conversational • Four lesson types per unit: Recognize, Practice, Produce, Master • Per-unit guidebooks with grammar notes and culture tips • 100% offline — zero data use, learn on the train JAPANESE-SPECIFIC, NOT GENERIC • Kana explorer — hiragana + katakana with mnemonics and native audio • Kanji root explorer — high-frequency kanji + the words built from them • Keigo explorer — 敬語 in casual, polite, respectful, and humble side by side • Wasei-eigo gallery — Japan's English with origin stories (サラリーマン, マイペース, ドンマイ) • Grammar drills — particles, te-form, conjugation, keigo quick drills JLPT-READY • N5 + N4 vocabulary packs aligned to official exam ranges • Targeted drills for grammar + counters + mimetic words SIX WAYS TO PRACTICE • Flashcards with native Japanese audio on every word • Multiple-choice, word-matching, word-building • Listen-and-pick, listen-and-build, true/false • Spaced repetition (SRS) — cards return exactly when you'd forget • Themed sentence packs for real-life conversations • SmartPacks — curated vocab around anime, J-pop, business, news • Custom decks — build your own from any word you meet BUILT TO KEEP YOU GOING • Daily challenges — a fresh mini-goal every day • Streaks with Streak Freeze for sick days • 50 levels, XP rewards, and 40+ achievements • Celebratory session-complete moments • Smart reminders that adapt to your pace • Statistics that track every word, streak, and session LEARN IN YOUR LANGUAGE Interface in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Malay, and Filipino. WHO IT'S FOR • Absolute beginners — start from こんにちは • Anime and manga fans — finally catch what's actually being said • Travelers — restaurant, train, and shopping phrases you'll use • JLPT N5 and N4 candidates • Heritage learners reconnecting with the language NihonGo is free to start. A Pro subscription unlocks JLPT packs, kanji roots, premium SmartPacks, and unlimited custom decks — but the core curriculum, kana, keigo, wasei-eigo, daily practice, and streak system stay free forever. 日本語、始めよう — let's begin. Terms of Use: https://app4a.github.io/learn-japanese/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://app4a.github.io/learn-japanese/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Hanashi at weekly against NihonGo's every 2 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
Both are free to download. Hanashi sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and NihonGo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Hanashi ships an update weekly, NihonGo every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hanashi | NihonGo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (288 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 288 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hanashi - Speak Japanese | Nam Cho |
In-app purchases
Hanashi
- Premium Monthly$14.991 Month
- Premium Yearly$99.991 Year
- Premium Yearly$119.991 Year
NihonGo
- Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$39.99









