Comparison

CogniCards vs Nihongo Chat

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

Head to head
About

CogniCards

This app uses spaced repetition and active recall to help you learn and remember information effectively. Organize your study material into decks, practice with quizzes, and track your progress with detailed statistics. It's designed for efficient learning across various subjects.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition algorithm (FSRS)
  • Active recall testing
  • Rich card formatting (Markdown, images, LaTeX)
  • Deck and folder organization
  • Quiz and matching game practice modes
  • Import/export flashcard decks
  • Progress tracking and statistics
Features
Read full description

Learn anything. Actually remember it. CogniCards turns any subject into flashcards and uses proven spaced repetition to show you each card at the perfect moment — right before you'd forget. Just a few focused minutes a day, and your recall climbs. Whether you're prepping for exams, learning a language, or mastering a professional field, CogniCards adapts to how your memory actually works. WHY IT WORKS • Spaced repetition (FSRS): a modern algorithm schedules every review for you, so you spend time only on what you're about to forget. • Active recall: test yourself instead of re-reading - the fastest path to lasting memory. • A smart daily queue: clear today's cards and you're done. No guesswork. BUILT FOR REAL STUDYING • Rich cards: format with Markdown, and add images, tables, code, and beautiful math (LaTeX). • Decks & folders: organize by subject, course, or exam with folders and sub-decks. • Practice modes: mix up review with quizzes and matching games. • Tough-card review: automatically revisit the cards you keep missing. • Bulk editor: edit hundreds of cards at once in a fast, spreadsheet-style table. BRING YOUR EXISTING DECKS • Import .apkg packages and tab-separated text files from other flashcard apps - decks, cards, and tags come right across. • Export and back up your entire library anytime. STAY MOTIVATED • Earn XP, level up, and keep your streak alive. • Unlock rewards, achievements, and themes as you study. SEE YOUR PROGRESS • Rich statistics: streaks, accuracy, forecasts, heatmaps, and card lifecycle. • Study plans & deadlines: set a target date and CogniCards tells you how many cards a day to master it in time. • Daily reminders keep you consistent. SYNC EVERYWHERE • Optional iCloud sync keeps your cards, decks, and progress up to date across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No ads. No tracking. No account required. • Your data stays on your device and, only if you choose, in your own private iCloud. Beautiful in light and dark mode, fast, and designed to make studying feel rewarding. Download CogniCards and start remembering more today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://github.com/johnusz/CogniCards/blob/main/privacy-policy.md

About

Nihongo Chat

Master Japanese vocabulary and grammar for all JLPT levels with a spaced repetition system. Build custom decks from a comprehensive dictionary and track your learning progress with daily check-ins and review calendars. Enjoy a privacy-focused, offline experience.

Highlights
  • Spaced Repetition System (SRS)
  • JLPT Level Selection (N5-N1)
  • Built-in Japanese Dictionary
  • Custom Deck Building
  • Daily Reminders & Streaks
  • Offline Functionality
  • Multiple-Choice Quiz Mode
Features
Read full description

Study Japanese vocabulary and grammar at any JLPT level — N5 through N1 — with spaced repetition that brings each word back just before you'd forget it. FREE TO START, AND FREE WHERE IT COUNTS 61 cards are yours immediately — 10 to 15 at every level — with no account, no time limit and no ads. The full 214,000-entry Japanese dictionary is free too: look anything up, any time, without hitting a paywall. PICK YOUR LEVEL Choose N5, N4, N3, N2 or N1 and study only that level. No advanced grammar thrown at a beginner, no basics slowing down an advanced learner. Switch whenever you're ready. 11,008 CARDS ACROSS FIVE LEVELS N1 4,262 · N2 2,593 · N3 1,954 · N4 1,202 · N5 997. Of those, 1,621 are hand-written cards carrying a usage note and two example sentences each — the N1 vocabulary and every level's grammar patterns. The rest are dictionary-verified word entries, 753 of which now carry an example sentence as well. STUDY THE WAY MEMORY ACTUALLY WORKS Grade each card Again, Hard, Good or Easy and the scheduler sets your next review. Every button shows you exactly when that card comes back, before you press it. Swipe right to move on, left to go back and re-read a card you have already graded. Set your session length right on the study screen, so ten free minutes is ten minutes of work instead of a wall of four hundred reviews. KNOW WHERE YOU ACTUALLY STAND The Stats tab reads your own review history and names the one thing most worth fixing — showing up, clearing your backlog, how much is sticking, or the balance between vocabulary and grammar — with the numbers behind it, and a projected finish date for your level at your current pace. No invented percentiles. No comparison against users who don't exist. BUILD YOUR OWN DECK Look up any word in the bundled dictionary and add it as a card. Edit any card in the app, including the built-in ones, and revert to the original whenever you like without losing your review history. Adding and editing one card at a time is always free. Filter your library down to just the cards you added, or just the ones you starred, and study only those. QUIZ, FILL IN THE BLANK, AND LISTEN Multiple-choice quizzes test recall under time pressure. Fill in the blank takes one word out of a real sentence and asks you to put it back. Tap any Japanese word or sentence to hear it read aloud, or let each card read itself as it arrives. ON IPHONE AND IPAD One app, both devices. On iPad the type and the layout are built for the larger screen rather than stretched to fit, the library grows from two columns to five, and it works in landscape. BACK UP FOR FREE Export your progress and your own cards at any time, at no cost. Your work is yours. ONE OPTIONAL UNLOCK A single one-time purchase opens the whole library — every card at every level — plus bulk import of your own word lists from CSV. Not a subscription. Nothing expires and nothing recurs. PRIVACY Everything runs on your device. No account, no login, no analytics, nothing transmitted anywhere. Dictionary data derived from JMdict, a project of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, used under their licence. Nihongo Chat is an independent study tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Japan Foundation or Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, administrators of the JLPT.

Screenshots

CogniCards4 screens
Nihongo Chat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: CogniCards at free against Nihongo Chat's paid. Nihongo Chat's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 10 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CogniCards against 5.0 for Nihongo Chat. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CogniCards ships an update every 10 days, Nihongo Chat daily. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
CogniCards versus Nihongo Chat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCogniCardsNihongo Chat
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJan PaczkowskiTak Yan

Customer experience

CogniCards

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

Nihongo Chat

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

In-app purchases

None

CogniCards

No in-app purchases

None

Nihongo Chat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CogniCards free?
CogniCards is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nihongo Chat free?
Nihongo Chat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CogniCards or Nihongo Chat?
CogniCards and Nihongo Chat are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do CogniCards or Nihongo Chat have ads?
Neither CogniCards nor Nihongo Chat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CogniCards or Nihongo Chat?
CogniCards ships an update every 10 days, and Nihongo Chat daily. Most recently, CogniCards was updated on September 17, 2026 and Nihongo Chat on September 9, 2026.

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