Comparison

Mebae vs Setsumei

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

Head to head
About

Mebae

Learn to read and write Japanese kana with a structured, ad-free approach. Features spaced repetition, stroke order animations, and progress tracking. An optional purchase unlocks advanced handwriting practice and customization.

Highlights
  • Learn Hiragana and Katakana
  • Spaced repetition system
  • Animated stroke order
  • Pronunciation audio
  • Progress tracking charts
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Mebae teaches you to read Japanese — hiragana, katakana and the first hundred kanji — with the calm, no-nonsense workflow you'd expect from a native iOS app. What you get on day one, completely free: - The full chart for both syllabaries, color-coded as you practice. - The 103 kanji of JLPT level N5, grouped by stroke count, each with its on and kun readings, its meaning and its animated stroke order. Tap a reading to hear that one — a kanji has no single way of sounding. - Tap any kana to hear its pronunciation and watch the animated stroke order. - 10-question practice rounds that put your weaker characters first, using SM-2 spaced repetition to decide what you owe and when. - Three difficulty levels: two options, four options, or freeform romaji on a custom keyboard. - Streak counter, weekly accuracy chart, and a "most missed this week" list to point you at what to study next. - Full localization in English, Spanish (MX), and Japanese. - iCloud sync — practice on the iPhone, pick up on the iPad. What you do not get, ever: - No ads. - No subscription. - No account to create. - No data collected. A single optional purchase unlocks the Pro features: handwriting practice with stroke guidance for every kana, multi-kana calligraphy sessions that end in a printable genkouyoushi-style PDF report, eight color themes inspired by traditional Japanese dyes, and infinite practice mode. Kanji are free to read, study and quiz; handwriting practice covers the kana. 90% of the app is free. Built solo, native Swift / SwiftUI, no third-party packages. Under 3 MB.

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

Mebae4 screens
Setsumei4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mebae at weekly against Setsumei's every 3 weeks. Setsumei's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Mebae sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Setsumei sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mebae ships an update weekly, Setsumei every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Mebae versus Setsumei: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMebaeSetsumei
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.418.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB164 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAgustin JaimesIgor Kulman

Customer experience

Mebae

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Setsumei

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

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mebae

One-time1
  • Mebae Pro$4.99
1 purchases

Setsumei

One-time1
  • Setsumei Premium$14.99

Questions

Is Mebae free?
Mebae is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Setsumei free?
Setsumei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Mebae or Setsumei have ads?
Neither Mebae nor Setsumei shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mebae or Setsumei?
Mebae ships an update weekly, and Setsumei every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mebae was updated on October 7, 2026 and Setsumei on October 16, 2026.

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