# NihonGo! vs Kotonoki

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NihonGo! at none against Kotonoki's 2. Kotonoki's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 11 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kotonoki sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. NihonGo! asks for nothing beyond the download.

NihonGo! ships an update every 11 months, Kotonoki every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NihonGo! | Kotonoki |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kotonoki/id6768849956/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 59 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Surya Arif](https://appshunter.io/developer/978414923) | [Egor Sazanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1842848545) |

## What reviewers say

### NihonGo!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo/id6748404957)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Kotonoki

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kotonoki/id6768849956)

Learn Japanese vocabulary and grammar by watching anime. The app generates lessons based on selected series and episodes, offering kanji, furigana, and romaji support. It features spaced repetition for review and daily vocabulary practice.

**Highlights:** AI-generated Japanese lessons from anime, Vocabulary and grammar study, Spaced repetition review system, Kanji, furigana, and romaji support, Daily vocabulary and phrase practice, Contextual example sentences

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kotonoki Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Kotonoki Yearly | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NihonGo! free?

NihonGo! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Kotonoki free?

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

### Do NihonGo! or Kotonoki have ads?

Neither NihonGo! nor Kotonoki shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NihonGo! or Kotonoki?

NihonGo! ships an update every 11 months, and Kotonoki every 6 weeks. Most recently, NihonGo! was updated on October 8, 2026 and Kotonoki on October 6, 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.*