Comparison

NihongoLearn 日本語 vs Setsumei

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

Head to head
About

NihongoLearn 日本語

Features
Read full description

NihongoLearn is a comprehensive Japanese learning app for self-study from beginner (N5) to advanced (N3) levels. KEY FEATURES: — FULL HIRAGANA & KATAKANA TABLE Interactive 五十音 chart with audio for every character. Tap to hear native pronunciation, see example words, and learn writing tips. — 1,700+ JLPT VOCABULARY 749 N5 + 585 N4 + 410 N3 words organized by part of speech and theme. Each word includes furigana, meaning, romaji, and pronunciation playback. — 200+ KANJI WITH READINGS Detailed kanji cards with on-yomi, kun-yomi, stroke count, radicals, meanings, and example compounds. — GRAMMAR PATTERNS Essential JLPT grammar patterns explained with formation rules and example sentences. — SRS FLASHCARD REVIEW Built-in spaced repetition system schedules cards just before you forget them. — MULTIPLE-CHOICE TESTS Test yourself across kana, vocab, kanji, grammar, or all combined. — PROGRESS TRACKING Daily streak counter, study days, and per-JLPT-level progress dashboard. — MULTI-LANGUAGE INTERFACE Switch the app UI language between English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese anytime. — OFFLINE FIRST All content works completely offline. No account, no login.

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

NihongoLearn 日本語4 screens
Setsumei4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NihongoLearn 日本語 at none against Setsumei's 1. Setsumei's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Setsumei sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NihongoLearn 日本語 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
NihongoLearn 日本語 versus Setsumei: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNihongoLearn 日本語Setsumei
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB164 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSui Fai LawIgor Kulman

In-app purchases

None

NihongoLearn 日本語

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Setsumei

One-time1
  • Setsumei Premium$14.99

Questions

Is NihongoLearn 日本語 free?
NihongoLearn 日本語 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Setsumei free?
Setsumei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NihongoLearn 日本語 or Setsumei have ads?
NihongoLearn 日本語 shows ads; Setsumei does not.

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