Comparison

Nihongo Learn vs Setsumei

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

Setsumei

This app breaks down Japanese sentences into understandable grammar lessons. It highlights grammar points, provides pronunciations, and offers plain-English explanations. Users can save and review grammar points in context, with an offline sentence library available.

Highlights
  • Grammar highlighting in sentences
  • Word pronunciations and dictionary forms
  • Plain-English explanations and examples
  • Offline Japanese-English sentence library
  • Save and review grammar points
  • JLPT level estimation
Features
Read full description

Understand the grammar inside real Japanese sentences. Setsumei turns Japanese text into a clear, approachable grammar lesson. Type or paste a sentence, choose an example, or search the included Japanese–English sentence library. Setsumei highlights the grammar it recognizes and keeps the original sentence, readings, and explanations together. SETSUMEI PREMIUM Setsumei is free to try. A one-time purchase of Setsumei Premium unlocks: • Unlimited sentence analysis • The full N1–N5 grammar library • Unlimited spaced review • Unlimited saved sentences and grammar points No subscription. LEARN IN CONTEXT • See grammar patterns highlighted directly in the sentence • Read word pronunciations and dictionary forms • Explore plain-English meanings, formations, nuances, and examples • Use estimated JLPT levels as a study guide • Search a large offline Japanese–English sentence library BUILD YOUR GRAMMAR LIBRARY • Save useful grammar points with their sentence context • Add personal notes • Browse grammar by communicative purpose • Mark grammar as Saved or Mastered • Revisit sentence history and saved sentences • Copy and share lessons REVIEW WHAT YOU SAVE • Practice grammar in the sentence context where you found it • Recall what each pattern contributes before revealing the explanation • Use Again, Hard, and Good to space difficult points sooner and remembered points farther apart • Keep review progress on device PRIVATE BY DESIGN Grammar detection, word analysis, and contextual classification run on your device using bundled resources. Setsumei requires no account and includes no ads, third-party analytics, or paid AI service. Grammar recognition and explanations are continually being improved. JLPT levels are estimates because the current JLPT does not publish official grammar lists.

Screenshots

Nihongo Learn4 screens
Setsumei4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Setsumei at every 4 days against Nihongo Learn's monthly. On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 Setsumei sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, Setsumei every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Nihongo Learn versus Setsumei: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNihongo LearnSetsumei
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB161 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperStephen DudleyIgor Kulman

Customer experience

Nihongo Learn

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Setsumei

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Nihongo Learn

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

Setsumei

One-time1
  • Setsumei Premium$14.99

Questions

Is Nihongo Learn free?
Nihongo Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Setsumei free?
Setsumei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nihongo Learn or Setsumei have ads?
Neither Nihongo Learn nor Setsumei shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nihongo Learn or Setsumei?
Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, and Setsumei every 4 days. Most recently, Nihongo Learn was updated on October 8, 2026 and Setsumei on September 30, 2026.

Other comparisons