DiaryTutor vs Tomaru
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DiaryTutor
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DiaryTutor turns daily journaling into a natural way to learn a foreign language. Pick a language. Write a diary entry — about your morning coffee, a conversation, a feeling, anything. Your AI tutor reads it, gently corrects mistakes, suggests more natural phrasing, and explains why. The more you write, the more your tutor learns about your style. — FOUR AI TEACHERS, EACH WITH A PERSONALITY — • Yaya — warm, patient, perfect for beginners • Oliver — precise and encouraging, your structured guide • Inky — playful and creative, for expressive writers • Milo — moody but insightful, when you want a sharper edge Switch teachers anytime. Each one grows alongside you, leveling up from Lv 1 to Lv 15 as you write together — unlocking new expressions, new conversations, and four evolution stages. — EIGHT LANGUAGES TO CHOOSE FROM — English, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Chinese. Mix and match. Switch languages whenever you want. — BUDDIES: A LETTER-BASED PEN-PAL WORLD — Pair up with a Buddy who's also learning. Exchange letters at your own pace — no pressure, no notifications buzzing every minute. Real practice with real humans, gently moderated. — DEEP CORRECTIONS, NOT JUST GRAMMAR — Beyond fixing mistakes, your tutor highlights: • Code-switching habits (when you accidentally fall back to your native language) • Naturalness scores • Writing advice tailored to your level — PROGRESS YOU CAN SEE — Earn XP, unlock badges (Gold / Platinum / Cosmic), watch your character evolve, and look back on a growing diary archive in your target language. — EARLY ACCESS NOTE — You're using one of the first builds. We're shipping updates fast and listening closely. Tap "Send Feedback" to talk to us directly — every message is read. Privacy & safety: All diaries are private by default. UGC is moderated by AI and human review. Report and block tools are built in. Start writing today. The best way to learn a language is to live in it — one diary at a time.
Tomaru
This app uses spaced repetition and AI-powered practice to help you effectively learn and retain new vocabulary. It offers pre-made decks, one-tap vocabulary import from various sources, and immersive focus features.
- Spaced repetition system (FSRS algorithm)
- Pre-made vocabulary decks with rich content
- One-tap vocabulary import from text
- AI-powered shadowing, translation, and grammar drills
- Immersive focus with ambient sounds
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Never forget a word you've learned. The system tracks your memory and shows each card right when it fades. All the Japanese and Korean vocabulary you need is already here. 【Never forget a word you've learned】 The FSRS spaced repetition algorithm calculates the exact moment a word slips from your memory and brings it back to your screen. You do not set any parameters. After enough reviews, the system uses your history to recalculate 21 memory model parameters. Your schedule runs entirely on your personal retention data, not a group average, happening automatically in the background. 【Know if you have time before you start】 When setting up a plan, you see a day-by-day simulation showing the exact date you will finish and your predicted daily review count. It is not just dividing the total by days. Set a target date, and the daily load adjusts automatically. You see a clear calendar of your workload before you even begin studying. 【Start with the most effective cards when you only have 10 minutes】 Input how many minutes you have today. The system sorts your due cards by the memory gained per second, giving you the most valuable reviews first. You see a focused list built for your time limit, rather than a random batch or starting from the top. 【The vocabulary you need is already made】 Choose from built-in decks like JLPT N5, N4, N3, N2, N1 Japanese vocabulary, Everyday Japanese Conversation, Japanese Daily Life vocabulary, Hiragana & Katakana, TOPIK I and TOPIK II Korean vocabulary, and Common Korean 3000 Words. Each card displays example sentences with native English translations, parts of speech, grammar notes in your native language, and high-quality audio. 【Words can come from anywhere】 Paste an article and the system tokenizes the text, reverting Japanese words to their dictionary forms. Take a photo to recognize text, or highlight a word in any app to add it via the system menu. Ask how to say a sentence, and the answer becomes a card. You can build manual cards with image occlusion, and they all look just as complete as the built-in decks. 【Review without opening the app】 You can tap your answers directly on the home screen widget. Learning reminders let you know when it is time to clear your queue right from your phone's background. 【See exactly how much you remember】 Your dashboard shows a chart predicting your future daily reviews. You can also read the exact number of words you will remember for over 30 days and 90 days. 【No limits on core features】 The number of cards, reviews, decks, scheduling, and statistics have no upper limit. You use the core system as much as you need. 【AI practice】 Turn your learned words into practice routines. You can do shadow reading, bidirectional translation checked by AI, grammar drills, and speaking exercises. support@tomaruai.app
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DiaryTutor at none against Tomaru's 6. DiaryTutor also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). Tomaru's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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
Both are free to download. Tomaru sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. DiaryTutor asks for nothing beyond the download.
DiaryTutor ships an update every 3 days, Tomaru monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DiaryTutor | Tomaru |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 126 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | YEN-HSUN LI | YINGLUEN TSENG |
In-app purchases
DiaryTutor
No in-app purchases
Tomaru
- Tensai Basic Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Tensai Basic Quarterly Subscription7 Days trial$14.993 Months
- Tensai PRO Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$15.901 Month
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- Tensai PRO Quarterly Subscription7 Days trial$44.993 Months
- Tensai Basic Annual Subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Tensai PRO Annual7 Days trial$169.991 Year









