Comparison

Yomu vs Nihongo Manabi

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

Head to head
About

Yomu

Features
Read full description

Yomu turns reading Japanese from guesswork into confident understanding. Read real articles, books, and manga excerpts with adaptive furigana, instant offline dictionary, and optional power featuresβ€”no subscriptions. WHAT MAKES YOMU DIFFERENT β€’ Adaptive Furigana: Match readings to your JLPT level. Hide kanji you know, show help where you need it. β€’ Instant Offline Dictionary: Tap any word for clear definitionsβ€”works without a connection. β€’ Difficulty Preview: See an automatic difficulty estimate before you start reading. β€’ Focused Reader: Clean, distraction-free layout for staying in the flow. POWER FEATURES (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) β€’ Camera & OCR Import: Scan printed Japanese and read it with tappable text. β€’ Vocabulary Builder: Save words as you read; export to CSV for Anki. β€’ Reading Stats: Track volume, streaks, and vocabulary growth. SHARE & IMPORT ANYWHERE β€’ Send text from Safari and other apps via the Share menuβ€”no copy-paste. β€’ Keep all your Japanese texts organized in one library and available offline. PRIVACY & PEACE OF MIND β€’ No ads, no subscriptions, no tracking of what you read. β€’ Your library, vocabulary, and stats stay on your device. Privacy policy: https://yomuapp.kulman.sk/privacy

About

Nihongo Manabi

Features
Read full description

Want to learn Japanese but afraid to speak? Nihongo Manabi gives you an AI tutor that's available 24/7 to practice with - no need to find a Japanese friend, no language exchange queue, no fear of being judged. [Why learners pick Nihongo Manabi] AI Tutor - always on Practice ordering ramen, navigating Shinjuku station, business introductions, or any scenario. AI corrects your mistakes instantly and explains in your language. JLPT mock exam + AI explanations Five levels (N5 to N1). When you get a question wrong, an AI explains the grammar point in your native language. Better than a cram school. Watch & Learn (NEW) 80+ short teaching videos right in the app, vertical TikTok-style scroll. Anime catchphrase breakdowns, traveler phrases, JLPT grammar, kana drills - new content daily. Pronunciation Scoring (NEW) Tap the microphone on any phrase, say it aloud, get an instant A/B/C/D/F grade plus a transcript of what your iPhone heard. On-device speech recognition - your audio never leaves your phone. Camera Translate (NEW) Point at any Japanese sign, menu, or station board. The AI reads the kanji, translates, and extracts 3-5 key vocabulary words. Perfect for travel. 275+ vocab with smart SRS N5 to N1 essential words. The algorithm schedules your reviews - you just open the app. Streak Badges Earn badges for 3 / 7 / 14 / 30 / 60 / 100 / 200 / 365 consecutive days. Your longest streak is preserved forever. Dark mode + Tri-lingual UI Full dark mode. Switch between Traditional Chinese, English, and Korean anytime. [Who it's for] - Japanese beginners starting from zero - JLPT N5-N1 candidates - Anime fans who want to understand without subtitles - Travelers prepping for a Japan trip - Anyone who wants a 24/7 speaking partner [About the subscription] Free tier covers all core learning features. Nihongo Pro unlocks: - Unlimited AI conversations - JLPT N1 / N2 advanced prep - Unlimited camera translation - No ads Monthly and yearly auto-renewable plans; prices vary by region and are shown in the app before you buy. Cancel anytime in Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Yomu4 screens
Nihongo Manabi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Yomu at none against Nihongo Manabi's shown. Nihongo Manabi's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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. Yomu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nihongo Manabi sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Yomu versus Nihongo Manabi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYomuNihongo Manabi
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.4 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size128 MB45 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperIgor KulmanChuang Lung Chien

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Yomu

One-time1
  • Premium$9.99
2 purchases

Nihongo Manabi

Subscriptions2
  • Nihongo Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Nihongo Pro Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Yomu free?
Yomu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nihongo Manabi free?
Nihongo Manabi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Yomu or Nihongo Manabi have ads?
Nihongo Manabi shows ads; Yomu does not.
Which is updated more often, Yomu or Nihongo Manabi?
Yomu ships an update fortnightly, and Nihongo Manabi fortnightly. Most recently, Yomu was updated on October 25, 2026 and Nihongo Manabi on October 24, 2026.

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