Comparison

Kage Japanese Shadowing vs Phrabbit

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

Head to head
About

Kage Japanese Shadowing

Features
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Kage Japanese Shadowing is a Japanese learning app for shadowing practice, pronunciation review, and guided scenario conversation. Practice with short Japanese study texts, listen to natural Japanese audio, record your voice, and review learning feedback. The app supports learners from JLPT N5 to N1. Features: • Shadowing practice with short Japanese texts • Natural Japanese audio for listening and speaking practice • Pronunciation review with learning feedback • Guided scenario conversations for common study situations • JLPT-level recommendations and filters • Word lookup and practice history Free users can use the core learning features. Pro adds higher daily practice limits, premium Japanese audio, and expanded pronunciation review. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Phrabbit

Practice language pronunciation by listening to audio or video passages, repeating them, and comparing your speech. Offers A/B looping, waveform visualization, and subtitle synchronization for effective shadowing and sentence practice.

Highlights
  • A/B loop practice
  • Shadowing with waveform comparison
  • Subtitle synchronization
  • Video and YouTube stream practice
  • Speech-to-text transcription
  • Background playback
  • Save and bookmark practice ranges
Read full description

The surest way to make a sentence truly your own — listen, repeat, and say it out loud. Phrabbit is an A/B loop practice app for language learners. Grab any passage from an audio file, a video file, a podcast, or a YouTube stream, loop it until it clicks, and now speak along to compare your own pronunciation. ◆ Shadowing · Listen to an A/B range, then repeat it in your own voice · Play your take over the original and compare the waveforms (audio files) · The passage's subtitles appear on the shadowing screen, highlighting each line as it plays (audio files) · Shadowing gap — automatically leaves time to speak between loops, with a countdown · Shadowing also works with video files and YouTube streams · My Recordings — save your best takes and pick practice back up on the same range ◆ A/B looping right on the waveform · Set precise ranges with your fingertip while watching the waveform · Loop as much as you want, adjust speed (0.5x–2.0x) · Save important ranges as bookmarks ◆ Practice with video · Bring in video files already on your device (MP4, M4V, MOV) and loop them the same way · Attach an SRT or VTT subtitle file, show it over the video, and nudge the sync if it drifts · Sentence practice — tap a sentence card and that sentence becomes the loop. Tapping the subtitle on the video does the same, so you never mark a range by hand for a sentence · No subtitles? Mark an A/B range and convert just that part with speech recognition · Fullscreen practice — turn sideways for subtitles and range controls together · Tap a word in the subtitles to save it to your wordbook with its context · Videos are referenced, not copied, so they use almost no app storage ◆ Comfortable anywhere, anytime · Background playback — loops keep running with the screen off or while you use other apps · Sleep timer — auto-pause after 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes · Earphone remote — the previous/next buttons step through sentences (or 5 seconds, on a file with no transcript) · Bookmark queue — tap Play All to practice saved ranges back-to-back, and skip between them from the Lock Screen · Control playback right from the Lock Screen and Control Center ◆ Speech to text (STT) · Turn speech into sentence-by-sentence text, synced to the waveform in real time · See exactly which sentence is playing as you learn · Type subtitles yourself — practice from your own script when speech recognition struggles with the audio, and your typed lines stay put even if you run recognition later · Apple Intelligence subtitle translation — translate a whole transcript on your device and read it beside the original (requires iOS 26.4 and an Apple Intelligence capable device) · On-device processing — your audio is never sent to an external server ◆ Many sources · Import audio files (mp3, m4a, and more) · Import video files (MP4, M4V, MOV) · Podcasts — browse shows curated for the language you are learning, or add one by name or RSS address · Download podcast episodes, and bring in your Apple Podcasts subscriptions · Practice any YouTube link as a stream ◆ Keep your library in order · Folders — group your material, and nest folders inside folders as deep as you like · Favorites — mark what you open most and reach it straight from Home · Search — finds what is tucked inside a folder, and shows you where it lives ◆ Tools that help you learn · Wordbook — save words you don't know and review them · AI word explanations (Beta) — tap a word in your wordbook and Apple Intelligence explains it on-device, in context · Stats — see your practice time and streak at a glance · Works on both iPhone and iPad Start free. A/B looping, playback speed, the shadowing gap, the sleep timer, and one bookmark per file or video are all free. STT, shadowing recordings, unlimited bookmarks and wordbook (including AI word explanations), background playback, podcasts, and subtitle translation are available with Premium — a one-time purchase, no subscription.

Screenshots

Kage Japanese Shadowing4 screens
Phrabbit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Phrabbit at every 5 days against Kage Japanese Shadowing's fortnightly. Kage Japanese Shadowing's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Kage Japanese Shadowing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Phrabbit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kage Japanese Shadowing ships an update fortnightly, Phrabbit every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Kage Japanese Shadowing versus Phrabbit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKage Japanese ShadowingPhrabbit
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developertepgu consultingKIYOUN KIM

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Kage Japanese Shadowing

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Quarterly$10.993 Months
  • Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
1 purchases

Phrabbit

One-time1
  • Phrabbit Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Kage Japanese Shadowing free?
Kage Japanese Shadowing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Phrabbit free?
Phrabbit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Kage Japanese Shadowing or Phrabbit have ads?
Neither Kage Japanese Shadowing nor Phrabbit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kage Japanese Shadowing or Phrabbit?
Kage Japanese Shadowing ships an update fortnightly, and Phrabbit every 5 days. Most recently, Kage Japanese Shadowing was updated on September 4, 2026 and Phrabbit on September 13, 2026.

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