Comparison

Japanigo vs HajimeNow

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

Head to head
About

Japanigo

Features
Read full description

Master the art of Japanese language with Japanigo, the premium language learning studio designed for absolute focus and linguistic excellence. Japanigo provides a sophisticated platform to master the foundations of Japanese through a high-fidelity, intuitive interface. Focused on the essential building blocks of the language, Japanigo offers a refined way to learn Hiragana, Katakana, and basic Kanji. Experience a mindful learning environment featuring immersive flashcards, character drills, and high-fidelity progress tracking that celebrates your linguistic achievements in a secure and professional digital environment. KEY HIGHLIGHTS: β€’ Foundation Learning Studio: Master Hiragana, Katakana, and essential Kanji through high-fidelity, professional-grade modules. β€’ Interactive Flashcard Suite: Learn with beautiful, intuitive flashcards designed for absolute conceptual clarity and retention. β€’ Daily Linguistic Rituals: Build lasting habits with daily streaks, curated "Word of the Day" features, and progress milestones. β€’ Mindful Design: A sleek, professional interface optimized to reduce cognitive load and foster deep linguistic focus. β€’ Secure Progress Registry: Monitor your learning journey locally. Japanigo stores all your progress records on your deviceβ€”we never access or share your private linguistic data. β€’ Privacy First: Your learning journey is yours alone. No accounts, no tracking, no cloud dependenciesβ€”just pure focus on Japanese. WHY JAPANIGO? Most language apps feel generic and cluttered. Japanigo is designed with care β€” smooth animations, a refined design system, and a learning framework that prioritizes depth over distraction. It's the Japanese companion you'll keep coming back to.

About

HajimeNow

Features
Read full description

HajimeNow is a focused, distraction-free Japanese study app designed around the JLPT curriculum β€” from your very first hiragana stroke to advanced N1 kanji. WHAT YOU'LL STUDY β€’ Hiragana & Katakana β€” learn every kana with mnemonics, stroke order, and audio pronunciation β€’ Kanji β€” N5 through N1 characters with meanings, readings, stroke order animations, and spaced repetition β€’ Vocabulary β€” thousands of JLPT-graded words with example sentences and native audio β€’ Grammar β€” structured grammar points for every JLPT level with clear explanations and examples β€’ Reading β€” graded reading passages with comprehension questions β€’ Listening & Dictation β€” train your ear with native Japanese text-to-speech β€’ Writing Practice β€” trace and free-draw characters on a canvas with adjustable brush thickness and ink color; supports Apple Pencil HOW IT WORKS HajimeNow uses a built-in spaced repetition system (SRS) that surfaces the cards you need to review most β€” so your study time is always efficient. Your streak and progress are tracked automatically, and your data syncs seamlessly across all your Apple devices via iCloud. TRACK YOUR JLPT JOURNEY Choose your target JLPT level (N5–N1) and the app counts down to the next exam date. Every module shows your completion percentage so you always know where you stand. BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED Inspired by Japanese washi paper and traditional ink aesthetics. Supports dark mode, adjustable font size, furigana toggle, and TTS audio speed control. Designed for portrait use β€” clean, focused, and easy to navigate one-handed. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. NO ACCOUNTS. Everything is included. No paywalls, no sign-in required. Your progress is yours.

Screenshots

Japanigo4 screens
HajimeNow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Japanigo at 3 against HajimeNow's 1. Japanigo also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Japanigo versus HajimeNow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJapanigoHajimeNow
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUmit UZWylder Everett

In-app purchases

None

Japanigo

No in-app purchases

None

HajimeNow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Japanigo free?
Japanigo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HajimeNow free?
HajimeNow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Japanigo or HajimeNow have ads?
Neither Japanigo nor HajimeNow shows ads.

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