# Kana Racer vs Nihongo Learn

The clearest difference is monetization model: Kana Racer at free against Nihongo Learn's freemium. Kana Racer also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kana Racer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Nihongo Learn sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Kana Racer against 5.0 for Nihongo Learn. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

Kana Racer ships an update weekly, Nihongo Learn monthly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kana Racer | Nihongo Learn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-racer/id6759406040/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-learn/id6759975922/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 25 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Tyler Berndt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1811187096) | [Stephen Dudley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882062889) |

## What reviewers say

### Kana Racer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kana-racer/id6759406040)

Learn Japanese kana through an arcade-style racing game. Swipe, answer correctly, and master hiragana and katakana using spaced repetition. Track your progress with detailed stats and unlock new character sets.

**Highlights:** Arcade-style racing gameplay, Spaced repetition learning system, Hiragana and Katakana modes, Romaji conversion practice, Per-character progress tracking, Combo system for rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $4.99 | one-time |


### Nihongo Learn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-learn/id6759975922)

Master Japanese with interactive lessons covering kana, kanji, vocabulary, and grammar. Practice with AI conversation partners, mock exams, and spaced repetition. Offers guided paths from beginner to advanced levels.

**Highlights:** Interactive kana and kanji learning, 2,000+ kanji with stroke order, JLPT N5-N1 vocabulary and grammar, AI conversation practice, Spaced repetition system (SRS), JLPT mock exams, Progress tracking and analytics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kana Racer free?

Kana Racer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Nihongo Learn free?

Nihongo Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Kana Racer or Nihongo Learn?

Kana Racer and Nihongo Learn are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Kana Racer or Nihongo Learn have ads?

Neither Kana Racer nor Nihongo Learn shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kana Racer or Nihongo Learn?

Kana Racer ships an update weekly, and Nihongo Learn monthly. Most recently, Kana Racer was updated on October 31, 2026 and Nihongo Learn on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*