Comparison

Kotoba Deck vs Shisho

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

Head to head
About

Kotoba Deck

Features
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The Japanese vocabulary of Shotokan karate. You hear the words every class โ€” but where do you actually look them up? Kotoba Deck puts the language of the dojo in your pocket: counting, commands, stances, blocks, strikes, kicks, and etiquette, each with romaji, kanji, a clear pronunciation, and an English meaning.

About

Shisho

Features
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Shisho (ๅธซๅŒ ) is your personal AI tutor for learning Japanese and preparing for the JLPT โ€” from N5 all the way to N1. FULL JLPT CURRICULUM Study vocabulary, kanji, and grammar organized into units and lessons across all five JLPT levels. Every word comes with an AI-generated guide showing how it's actually used, in context and by tone. PRACTICE ALL FIVE EXAM SKILLS Speaking โ€” read-aloud pronunciation drills scored on-device using Apple's speech engine Listening & Reading โ€” audio and furigana passages with comprehension checks Writing โ€” kanji tracing and sentence building Conversation โ€” free-form voice chat with an AI partner, plus scripted scenarios AI Sensei โ€” a guided, adaptive lesson that blends every skill and reacts to your answers in real time SPACED-REPETITION REVIEW Flashcard reviews are scheduled with a spaced-repetition system, so you review words right before you'd forget them. STAY MOTIVATED Track your daily streak, XP, and exam readiness on the Today dashboard. Earn achievements, keep your streak alive with streak freezes, and celebrate milestones as you go. STUDY IN YOUR LANGUAGE The app interface and AI explanations are available in English and Bahasa Indonesia โ€” the Japanese you're learning always stays Japanese. Whether you're just starting with hiragana or polishing grammar for N1, Shisho adapts to where you are and helps you get to your next JLPT level.

Screenshots

Kotoba Deck4 screens
Shisho4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Kotoba Deck at 3 against Shisho's 1. Kotoba Deck also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 3 level
Kotoba Deck versus Shisho: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKotoba DeckShisho
PriceFreeFree
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size25 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperComputerist Solutions, IncAri Munandar

In-app purchases

None

Kotoba Deck

No in-app purchases

None

Shisho

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kotoba Deck free?
Kotoba Deck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shisho free?
Shisho is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kotoba Deck or Shisho have ads?
Neither Kotoba Deck nor Shisho shows ads.

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