Synapse vs Sottaku
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Synapse
This app focuses on language learning through sound and memory, using immersive stories and ear training exercises. It offers visual grammar guides, camera-based flashcards, and collaborative learning features. Learn 26 languages with a science-backed approach.
- Immersive story podcasts
- Science-based ear training
- Camera-powered flashcards
- Visual grammar tables
- Collaborative sentence practice
- Alphabet courses from zero
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You are not too old. The "critical period" is a myth: adult brains still rewire with intentional focus plus quality restful sleep. Synapse is a language learning app built on that science: train your ear first, make mistakes on purpose, and let each night of sleep lock in the day's practice. No streaks to protect, no guilt trips. STORY PODCASTS Follow a whole story in your new language on day 1. Short, immersive stories told slowly and clearly: read along word by word, tap anything to learn it instantly, and keep listening with the screen locked — a podcast that teaches. EAR TRAINING Hear the difference between words that used to sound identical. Your native language decides which sounds you can't hear yet; listening exercises built for your exact native/target pair train you to catch what native speakers hear effortlessly. Soundalike drills then tackle the words that trip learners up. ALPHABETS FROM ZERO Sound out real words in an alphabet that was pure noise to you last week. Letter-by-letter audio courses take you from zero, one sound at a time. (Rolling out language by language.) FLASHCARDS FROM YOUR LIFE Learn the words your own life is made of. Point your camera at anything with Language Lens and learn its name on the spot; spaced repetition then brings each word back right before you'd forget it, so it sticks for good. GRAMMAR YOU CAN SEE Say the right form without reciting a rule. Conjugations and cases as clear visual tables, linked to real example sentences — patterns instead of memorized rules. LEARN TOGETHER Trade your first real sentences with another person this week. Pair up with a partner and exchange short daily messages in each other's target language. Family kits (select language pairs) give parents and kids a shared track. 26 LANGUAGES Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Hindi and more — with the interface in your own language too. THE METHOD Free video lessons at synapseko.com explain the science behind it all. Your progress follows you to any device with a free account. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Sottaku
Master Chinese, Japanese, and Korean vocabulary with this app. It offers fast lookups, audio pronunciation, spaced repetition, and interactive quizzes. A browser extension and community chat are also available for enhanced learning.
- Fast word and sentence lookups
- Audio pronunciation and furigana
- Spaced repetition flashcards
- Quick quizzes and challenge modes
- Community chat feature
- Companion browser extension
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Sottaku is a language learning app where you can study up to 15 languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Russian, Latin, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Arabic, Hebrew and Hindi. Study with fast lookups, grammar explanations, audio, flashcards, quizzes and spaced repetition, then bring the language into real conversations by discovering language exchange partners and talking in Sottaku Chat. • Discover learners and native speakers for language exchange • Chat with partners and the Sottaku community • Search words and example sentences • Explore grammar guides and sentence breakdowns where available • Furigana (reading hints) and audio for reading & listening where available • Save words as flashcards and review with smart scheduling • Quick quizzes and challenge modes to stay consistent • Use our companion browser extension, Sottaku-Yomitan, to look up words while reading online (Chrome/Firefox/Edge) • Sync your progress across devices when you sign in Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Synapse at none against Sottaku's 8. Synapse also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Sottaku's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Sottaku sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Synapse asks for nothing beyond the download.
Synapse holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sottaku has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Synapse's written reviews are positive against 80% of Sottaku's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. Both last shipped on September 14, 2026.
| Parameter | Synapse | Sottaku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.7 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 182 MB | 150 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Synaptic Learning Company LLC | Sottaku Inc |
Customer experience
Synapse
Sottaku
In-app purchases
Synapse
No in-app purchases
Sottaku
- Sottaku Pro$14.991 Month
- Sottaku Pro: Gift Sub$14.991 Month
- Sottaku: 750 Gold$9.99
- Sottaku Pro: One Month Gift Sub$14.99
- Sottaku: 1600 Gold$19.99
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- Sottaku: 3400 Gold$39.99
- Sottaku: 9200 Gold$99.99
- Sottaku: 20000 Gold$199.99









