# Kotoba vs Nihongo Pocket

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Nihongo Pocket at none against Kotoba's 2. Kotoba's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kotoba sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Nihongo Pocket asks for nothing beyond the download.

Kotoba ships an update every 6 days, Nihongo Pocket every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kotoba | Nihongo Pocket |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 11 days |
| Size | 47 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleph Melo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1856697242) | [RYO MOCHIZUKI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881262384) |

## What reviewers say

### Kotoba

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kotoba-learn-by-reading/id6755842345)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kotoba Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Kotoba Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


### Nihongo Pocket

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-pocket/id6789896820)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kotoba free?

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

### Is Nihongo Pocket free?

Nihongo Pocket is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Kotoba or Nihongo Pocket have ads?

Nihongo Pocket shows ads; Kotoba does not.

### Which is updated more often, Kotoba or Nihongo Pocket?

Kotoba ships an update every 6 days, and Nihongo Pocket every 11 days. Most recently, Kotoba was updated on October 24, 2026 and Nihongo Pocket on October 31, 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.*