Comparison

Learn Japanese vs Nihongo Diary

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

Head to head
About

Learn Japanese

Master Japanese alphabets, kanji with mnemonics, and everyday vocabulary. Build grammar understanding and reading skills from the start with structured lessons and a smart review system. Designed for beginners to develop real language proficiency.

Highlights
  • Hiragana & Katakana mastery
  • Kanji with visual mnemonics
  • Everyday vocabulary building
  • Clear grammar explanations
  • Reading & listening practice
  • Smart review system
Features
Read full description

Learn Japanese from zero with Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji with image mnemonics and real practice. Build vocabulary, understand grammar and start reading from day one. ManabuLab helps you develop real Japanese skills step by step. What you’ll learn • Hiragana & Katakana Master the Japanese alphabets with stroke order and practice. • Kanji with visual mnemonics Learn and remember characters using simple visual stories. • Everyday vocabulary Learn useful Japanese words with pronunciation and meaning. • Clear and simple grammar Understand how Japanese works with real examples. • Reading & listening practice Improve your Japanese with real reading and listening. • Smart review system Review what you learn and retain it long term. Why ManabuLab? • Built for complete beginners • Structured lessons with real progress • Focus on understanding, not memorization • Clean and distraction-free learning experience Start learning Japanese today and build real skills step by step. Privacy Policy: https://manabulab.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://manabulab.app/terms/

About

Nihongo Diary

Features
Read full description

Nihongo Diary — Write Japanese every day. Get it corrected. Keep going. Writing is the fastest way to make Japanese stick — but only if someone corrects you, and only if you keep showing up. Nihongo Diary gives you both. WRITE & GET CORRECTED - Write a short diary entry in Japanese — any level, any length - AI correction shows your corrected text in seconds, with furigana on every kanji - See a natural, native-like version of what you wrote - Understand every fix with clear explanations, key mistakes, and vocabulary - Ask the community: real learners (and their corrections) alongside AI YOU'RE NOT DOING IT ALONE - Share entries to the community feed and cheer each other on - Get corrections and comments from fellow learners around the world - Follow friends, react to entries, and reply to comments - Push notifications remind you to write and tell you when someone responds KEEP YOUR STREAK ALIVE - Daily streaks and milestones keep you motivated - Calendar view of everything you've written - Word-tap translation while reading other learners' entries - Obie, your study buddy, celebrates your progress Made by Tetsu, a native Japanese teacher in Sapporo, for learners who want to actually use their Japanese — not just study it. Free to start. Write your first entry today. Terms of Use: https://nihongodiary.app/terms

Screenshots

Learn Japanese4 screens
Nihongo Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Learn Japanese at every 5 days against Nihongo Diary's every 10 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Learn Japanese sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Nihongo Diary sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learn Japanese ships an update every 5 days, Nihongo Diary every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Learn Japanese versus Nihongo Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn JapaneseNihongo Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (65 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings65 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size205 MB17 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperCAGATAY TURKILERITetta Taguchi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Learn Japanese

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly ManabuLab Premium$12.991 Month
  • Yearly ManabuLab Premium$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime ManabuLab Premium$99.99
2 purchases

Nihongo Diary

Subscriptions2
  • Plus$9.991 Month
  • Pro$19.991 Month

Questions

Is Learn Japanese free?
Learn Japanese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nihongo Diary free?
Nihongo Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Learn Japanese or Nihongo Diary have ads?
Neither Learn Japanese nor Nihongo Diary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Learn Japanese or Nihongo Diary?
Learn Japanese ships an update every 5 days, and Nihongo Diary every 10 days. Most recently, Learn Japanese was updated on October 18, 2026 and Nihongo Diary on October 11, 2026.

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