# Nihongo Learn vs Wakaba

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wakaba at none against Nihongo Learn's 2. Wakaba also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Nihongo Learn's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

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

Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, Wakaba fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nihongo Learn | Wakaba |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-learn/id6759975922/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wakaba-learn-japanese/id6800475141/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 15 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stephen Dudley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882062889) | [Juan De Dios Santos Rivera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830332304) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Wakaba

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wakaba-learn-japanese/id6800475141)

Learn Japanese at your own pace with kanji, vocabulary, and pronunciation guides. Test your knowledge with short quizzes and track your progress by JLPT level. Study against beautiful illustrated skies, making learning engaging.

**Highlights:** Kanji meanings and readings, Vocabulary with pronunciation, Phrase breakdowns, 10-question quizzes, JLPT level progress tracking, Illustrated study backgrounds

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nihongo Learn free?

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

### Is Wakaba free?

Wakaba is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nihongo Learn or Wakaba?

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

### Do Nihongo Learn or Wakaba have ads?

Neither Nihongo Learn nor Wakaba shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nihongo Learn or Wakaba?

Nihongo Learn ships an update monthly, and Wakaba fortnightly. Most recently, Nihongo Learn was updated on October 8, 2026 and Wakaba on October 24, 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.*