Sentence Samurai vs Mebae
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sentence Samurai
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Master Japanese through immersive sentence practice. Generate custom sentences at your JLPT level (N5-N1), with furigana readings, AI-powered translations, and integrated dictionary lookups. Perfect for building real-world comprehension skills. FEATURES: - Generate practice sentences tailored to your JLPT level (N5 through N1) - Toggle furigana readings on/off to test your kanji knowledge - AI-powered English translations and grammar breakdowns - Built-in offline Japanese dictionary with tap-to-lookup - Bookmark sentences for later review - Speech-to-text for pronunciation practice - Manga reader with OCR-powered Japanese text extraction - Cloud backup to sync your progress across devices - Sign in with Apple or email Whether you're just starting with hiragana or preparing for the JLPT N1, Sentence Samurai adapts to your level and helps you build real reading comprehension through practice.
Mebae
Learn to read and write Japanese kana with a structured, ad-free approach. Features spaced repetition, stroke order animations, and progress tracking. An optional purchase unlocks advanced handwriting practice and customization.
- Learn Hiragana and Katakana
- Spaced repetition system
- Animated stroke order
- Pronunciation audio
- Progress tracking charts
- Multiple difficulty levels
- iCloud sync
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Mebae teaches you to read Japanese — hiragana, katakana and the first hundred kanji — with the calm, no-nonsense workflow you'd expect from a native iOS app. What you get on day one, completely free: - The full chart for both syllabaries, color-coded as you practice. - The 103 kanji of JLPT level N5, grouped by stroke count, each with its on and kun readings, its meaning and its animated stroke order. Tap a reading to hear that one — a kanji has no single way of sounding. - Tap any kana to hear its pronunciation and watch the animated stroke order. - 10-question practice rounds that put your weaker characters first, using SM-2 spaced repetition to decide what you owe and when. - Three difficulty levels: two options, four options, or freeform romaji on a custom keyboard. - Streak counter, weekly accuracy chart, and a "most missed this week" list to point you at what to study next. - Full localization in English, Spanish (MX), and Japanese. - iCloud sync — practice on the iPhone, pick up on the iPad. What you do not get, ever: - No ads. - No subscription. - No account to create. - No data collected. A single optional purchase unlocks the Pro features: handwriting practice with stroke guidance for every kana, multi-kana calligraphy sessions that end in a printable genkouyoushi-style PDF report, eight color themes inspired by traditional Japanese dyes, and infinite practice mode. Kanji are free to read, study and quiz; handwriting practice covers the kana. 90% of the app is free. Built solo, native Swift / SwiftUI, no third-party packages. Under 3 MB.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sentence Samurai at none against Mebae's 1. Sentence Samurai also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.4). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Mebae sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sentence Samurai asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Sentence Samurai against 5.0 for Mebae. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
| Parameter | Sentence Samurai | Mebae |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 75 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Frederick Ige | Agustin Jaimes |
In-app purchases
Sentence Samurai
No in-app purchases
Mebae
- Mebae Pro$4.99








