FuriRead vs 2hongo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FuriRead
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FuriRead is a Safari reading helper for Japanese learners. Open Japanese news, blogs, or webpages and FuriRead automatically shows kana readings above kanji, turning real web content into readable study material. Key features: • Add furigana to Japanese webpages automatically • Select a word to see kana, romaji, part of speech, level tags, and definitions • Listen to word pronunciation with built-in TTS • Extract article vocabulary and group it by part of speech • Improved readings for numbers, dates, counters, people counts, and Japanese era years FuriRead is useful for JLPT study, reading NHK news, and building vocabulary from real Japanese content.
2hongo
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Look up a word, then open stroke practice for its kana and kanji. Point your camera at a menu and tap any word you can't read. Follow a grammar pattern back to the conjugation it is built on. 2hongo brings those connections into your Japanese study, with tools you can keep using from your first hiragana to well beyond JLPT N1. START WITH THE FOUNDATIONS • Learn hiragana and katakana from the first character. • Explore basic grammar and how Japanese sentences work. • Revisit the basics whenever a new topic calls for them. EXPLORE WORDS IN CONTEXT • Look up meanings, readings, example sentences, and verb conjugations. • Browse related words and JLPT or themed vocabulary lists. • Scan Japanese text with your camera or from a photo, then tap recognized words to look them up. UNDERSTAND THE GRAMMAR BEHIND THE SENTENCE • Study grammar patterns with their formation rules and examples. • Revisit the conjugation a pattern is built on. • Look up unfamiliar words in example sentences. PRACTICE READING AND WRITING • Read articles with vocabulary, grammar, and translation aids. • Watch kana and kanji stroke order, trace characters, and practice writing from memory. TURN DISCOVERIES INTO REGULAR STUDY • Save words in notebooks and revisit them with spaced-repetition review. • Follow a daily Sensei study plan shaped around your level, goals, and available time. KEEP EXPLORING BEYOND N1 • Work through JLPT N5–N1 vocabulary, grammar, and kanji. • Keep expanding your vocabulary and checking unfamiliar usage after the exam. • Convert hiragana and katakana, switch between full-width and half-width text, and work with Japanese era dates. STUDY YOUR WAY • Use 2hongo alongside your textbook, class, or independent study. • Choose an interface in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, or Traditional Chinese through your device's language settings. • Keep your learning progress connected across the web and mobile apps with your account. FREE AND PAID • Look up words for free, with no account needed. • A free account opens every JLPT N5–N1 article, kanji, vocabulary list, and grammar lesson to read, and adds saved words with review, kana and N5 study, and a daily Sensei study plan. • Standard unlocks study at every level: progress tracking, quizzes, audio, stroke practice, text scan, and custom notebooks. • Plus adds a generous monthly allowance of AI credits for asking Sensei and refining searches. • Max offers the most AI credits and the highest limits across the app. Standard, Plus, and Max are optional auto-renewing monthly subscriptions, and each can start with a 7-day free trial for eligible new subscribers. Terms of Use: https://www.2hongo.com/en/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: 2hongo at every 3 weeks against FuriRead's every 3 months. FuriRead's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. FuriRead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and 2hongo sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
FuriRead ships an update every 3 months, 2hongo every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FuriRead | 2hongo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 94 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | 冰冰 邓 | TWO LEXIS CO., LTD. |
In-app purchases
FuriRead
- FuriRead Pro (Full Access)$2.99
2hongo
- Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Premium Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
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- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year









