Comparison

Nihongo Learn vs Sumigo

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

Sumigo

Read full description

Study Japanese your way with an offline dictionary, adaptive flashcards, focused learning paths, quick games, and classic stories—no account or ads required. Japanese dictionaries are good at telling you what a word means. They are not always as good at explaining when to use it. Sumigo helps with both. Alongside definitions, many entries include practical usage notes covering nuance, formality, similar words, and common mistakes. When you find a word you want to remember, save it and study it with the built-in spaced-repetition system. DICTIONARY • More than 200,000 Japanese–English dictionary entries • Search using kanji, kana, romaji, or English • Draw unfamiliar kanji directly in the search field • View furigana and complete conjugation tables for verbs and adjectives • Learn how words are actually used through detailed usage notes and examples FLASHCARDS AND LEARNING PATHS Review saved vocabulary with adaptive flashcards, or start with First 100 words in five small groups. Study kanji, grammar, and kana in separate paths. Choose what to practice, track progress, and set the length of each session. GAMES Practice your selected words, kanji, and kana in quick games. Catch the matching word, find the kanji missing from a Japanese word, or test your kana recognition. Build combos and see your score at the end of each session. KANJI • Explore more than 13,000 kanji with readings, meanings, and JLPT levels • Follow animated stroke-order diagrams • Practice writing kanji with a guide and optional writing grid • Study complete groups by school grade or JLPT level GRAMMAR Browse more than 800 grammar points from N5 to N1. Each entry includes its meaning, formation rules, explanations, and example sentences. EXAMPLE SENTENCES Read tens of thousands of Japanese sentences with furigana and English translations. Tap any word in a sentence to open its dictionary entry. JAPANESE STORIES Read classic folk tales such as Momotaro and Urashima Taro. Follow the Japanese text with line-by-line audio, word lookup, and English translations. MADE FOR FOCUSED STUDY Choose focused reviews when you want a quiet study session or optional games when you want a change of pace. Core study content works offline, and handwriting recognition works offline after a one-time model download. No account or ads are required.

Screenshots

Nihongo Learn4 screens
Sumigo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sumigo at none against Nihongo Learn's 2. Sumigo also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nihongo Learn sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sumigo asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, Sumigo every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Nihongo Learn versus Sumigo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNihongo LearnSumigo
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB757 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperStephen DudleyLion Knoche

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Nihongo Learn

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
None

Sumigo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Nihongo Learn free?
Nihongo Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sumigo free?
Sumigo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Nihongo Learn or Sumigo have ads?
Neither Nihongo Learn nor Sumigo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nihongo Learn or Sumigo?
Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, and Sumigo every 2 weeks. Most recently, Nihongo Learn was updated on October 31, 2026 and Sumigo on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons