Comparison

Navi Japan vs NihonMaster

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

Head to head
About

Navi Japan

Features
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Discover Japan like never before – with Navi Japan! Navi Japan is your trusted companion to explore higher education, student life, and future career opportunities in Japan. Whether you're just curious or ready to apply, Navi Japan supports you at every step. Explore Top Japanese Universities & Courses Access Verified Scholarships & Application Guidance Connect with Expert Counselors via Chat or Sessions Track Your Applications, Deadlines & Docs Easily Get Visa, Accommodation, and Pre/Post-Departure Support Attend Cultural Events, Competitions & Webinars Localized for Indian & South Asian students Whether you're a student, parent, or counselor – Navi Japan is your bridge to a brighter future in Japan.

About

NihonMaster

Features
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I'm Joppe. I built Nihon Master because I was learning Japanese and the apps I was using were not doing it for me. Duolingo got me started but I was not really learning past hiragana. Anki is great if you build your own deck. Wanikani is great for kanji. I wanted one place that actually teaches the language. So I built it for myself. A few friends started using it. Then strangers. Now it's here. This is not a flashcard deck, and it is not a gamified drill machine. It is a real curriculum backed by real tools, built specifically for Japanese, where kana and kanji are first-class instead of a language pack bolted on the side. What's inside. A guided journey from absolute beginner through JLPT N1. Hiragana, katakana, kanji, vocabulary, grammar, reading practice. Every lesson has a clear point and you finish it knowing something you did not know an hour ago. Around 2,000 kanji with stroke animations, writing practice, and readings ordered by what you actually need first. Spaced repetition built on FSRS (the same algorithm Anki adopted in 2024) instead of the 1987 SM-2 formula most apps still ship. Twelve sub-skills tracked separately, so you can see whether your particles are fine and your kanji readings are the problem, instead of one meaningless overall number. Mock JLPT tests for every level, in the same shape as the real exam. Useful for the test itself and for figuring out where you actually stand. Native-quality Japanese audio on every vocabulary item, generated by VOICEVOX, an open-source Japanese TTS that does not sound like a robot. A sentence generator that builds sentences only from words and grammar you have already learned, so you never get jumped by kanji you have never seen. What's not inside. Streaks engineered to guilt you into opening the app at 11:59 PM. A heart system that locks you out until you wait or pay. A subscription that holds half the content behind a paywall. Ads of any kind. Everything works offline. No sign-in. No account. Your progress lives on your device. There are no servers, and that is intentional. I am one person making this in my spare time. If you have an idea, a feature request, a bug to report, or you just want to tell me which kanji is annoying you this week, please do. There is a Discord linked inside the app and an Instagram at @nihonmaster.official. I read everything. If Duolingo is working for you, honestly that is great, keep doing that. This app is for the people who tried Duolingo, kept the streak alive for six months, and realised they still could not read anything. Have fun with it. Let me know what you think. nihonmaster.com

Screenshots

Navi Japan3 screens
NihonMaster4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Navi Japan ships an update every 10 days, NihonMaster every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and July 22, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Navi Japan versus NihonMaster: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNavi JapanNihonMaster
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size60 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSannam S4 Acumen India Private Limitedjoppe montezinos

In-app purchases

None

Navi Japan

No in-app purchases

None

NihonMaster

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Navi Japan free?
Navi Japan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NihonMaster free?
NihonMaster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Navi Japan or NihonMaster have ads?
Neither Navi Japan nor NihonMaster shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Navi Japan or NihonMaster?
Navi Japan ships an update every 10 days, and NihonMaster every 5 days. Most recently, Navi Japan was updated on September 19, 2026 and NihonMaster on July 22, 2026.

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