Comparison

Nihongo Learn vs Glosaire

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

Head to head
About

Nihongo Learn

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
Read full description

Learn Japanese the smart way — from your first hiragana to JLPT N1 mastery. Nihongo Learn is a comprehensive Japanese study app with 30+ interactive modes designed for every stage of your journey. Whether you're memorizing kana, drilling kanji stroke order, or preparing for the JLPT, everything you need is in one place. WRITING SYSTEMS • Hiragana & Katakana with stroke-by-stroke animation • 2,000+ Kanji with readings, meanings, and stroke order • Handwriting practice with trace and recall modes • Radical breakdown for systematic kanji learning VOCABULARY & GRAMMAR • N5 through N1 vocabulary with audio pronunciation • Complete grammar explanations for all JLPT levels • Example sentences with furigana and translations • Conjugation drills for every verb form QUIZZES & PRACTICE • Multiple choice, typing, matching, and speed drills • SRS spaced repetition to remember what you learn • Smart drills that target your weak points • JLPT mock exams to test your readiness IMMERSIVE LEARNING • AI conversation partners for real-world dialogue practice • Graded reading passages with tap-to-translate • Listening comprehension at every level • Pitch accent training for natural pronunciation • Cultural context lessons on politeness and etiquette STAY MOTIVATED • Guided lesson paths from beginner to advanced • Daily tasks and study streaks • Detailed analytics tracking your progress • Customizable avatars, themes, and collectible rewards • Study calendar to visualize your consistency FREE TO START Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, N5-N4 content, all quiz types, conjugation drills, reading passages, and pitch accent training are completely free. PREMIUM Upgrade for AI conversation partners, full analytics, N3-N1 content, unlimited SRS cards, the immersion reader, and advanced listening practice. That's about 1,500 characters — well within the 4,000 character limit. Adjust any section as you see fit. Privacy Policy: https://digitalisapps.com/nihongo-privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://digitalisapps.com/nihongo-tos/

About

Glosaire

Read full description

Build the Japanese foundation that makes immersion work. Glosaire gives you a structured Beginner Path, level-matched short stories, and tools for learning from real Japanese video. Start with practical lessons, then move into the content you want to understand—with support when you need it and less dependence on translation over time. FOLLOW A PATH INTO REAL JAPANESE Work through practical lessons that build toward reading, listening, and producing Japanese. The Beginner Path includes kana checkpoints and optional stories, so structured study leads naturally into immersion. The first three Beginner Path lessons are available free. Basic unlocks one new lesson each day. Premium opens the full path immediately, including later production and speaking exercises. Current access and payment terms are always shown before enrollment. READ SHORT STORIES AT YOUR LEVEL Explore short Japanese stories recommended for your level. Tap words to look them up, reveal sentence meaning and explanation when needed, and track your reading progress. Selected stories also appear as optional steps within the Beginner Path. LEARN FROM REAL JAPANESE VIDEO Watch Japanese YouTube videos with interactive, color-coded subtitles. Tap a word without leaving the video to see its reading, meaning in context, and an explanation of the sentence. SAVE THE MOMENT, NOT JUST THE WORD Track vocabulary from the scene where you found it. Glosaire keeps the sentence and source context attached, then lets that vocabulary resurface across new videos as Encounters. PRACTICE WHAT YOU LEARNED Review with flashcards, cloze, pair matching, listening, kanji and kana recognition, sentence building, and speaking. Production exercises ask you to write Japanese from memory and can return a grade, corrections, and focused guidance. Some practice modes and feedback require Premium and an internet connection. CHOOSE INPUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND Browse a curated Japanese video library organized by level, topic, and pace. Per-video comprehension scores and vocabulary coverage help you choose what to watch next. SEE YOUR JAPANESE GROW Follow words from new to mastered, track activity, and see your vocabulary grow across lessons, stories, videos, and review. Glosaire is for learners who want both direction and immersion: a clear place to start, real Japanese to grow into, and a retention loop that keeps new language from disappearing. Learn. Read. Watch. Understand. Save. Practice. Re-encounter. On desktop, the Glosaire browser extension brings interactive learning tools to supported video sites. The iOS app focuses on the Beginner Path, stories, Japanese YouTube videos, and mobile practice. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://www.glosaire.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.glosaire.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Nihongo Learn4 screens
Glosaire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Glosaire at every 10 days against Nihongo Learn's monthly. Glosaire also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). 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. Nihongo Learn sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Glosaire sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, Glosaire every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Nihongo Learn versus Glosaire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNihongo LearnGlosaire
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB149 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperStephen DudleyARCANA GROUP

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Nihongo Learn

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
3 purchases

Glosaire

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Glosaire Premium Annual$89.991 Year
  • Glosaire Premium Annual7 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Nihongo Learn free?
Nihongo Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Glosaire free?
Glosaire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nihongo Learn or Glosaire have ads?
Neither Nihongo Learn nor Glosaire shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nihongo Learn or Glosaire?
Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, and Glosaire every 10 days. Most recently, Nihongo Learn was updated on October 31, 2026 and Glosaire on October 31, 2026.

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