Comparison

Japanese Learning vs Setsumei

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

Head to head
About

Japanese Learning

Features
Read full description

Japanese Learning the right way, one day at a time. Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen what you already know, this app gives you a clear, structured path to actually speak Japanese and understand it in real life. The daily word learning plan is at the heart of the experience. Each day, you get a focused set of Japanese words to study in short, manageable sessions. You'll work through them step by step, with related phrases and quick practice built right in. It takes the guesswork out of studying by answering one simple question: what should I learn today? Here's what you get with the app: Home Dashboard: See your daily plan, track your streak, and check your weekly activity at a glance. Words Module: Study Japanese vocabulary through flashcards, image-to-word matching, quizzes, example sentences, and fill-in-the-blank exercises. Practice with typing, dictation, listening-based quizzes, and production drills to really lock in what you've learned. Phrasebook: Browse phrases organized by category. Practice with listening exercises, listening quizzes, and phrase dictation across 30 different topics. Recall with Spaced Repetition: The built-in SRS review system brings back words at the right time so you remember Japanese vocabulary long-term, not just for the next quiz. Listening and Reading Practice: Audiobooks let you listen at your own pace and pick up where you left off. Word Immersion walks you through vocabulary using images, pronunciation, translations, and examples with calming background audio. Phrase Immersion plays Japanese phrases with their meanings so you can absorb natural expressions. While You Sleep plays a continuous mix of word and phrase content with ambient audio, and premium users can set a sleep timer. Progress Tracking: The stats section gives you a clear picture of how your study sessions are going and how far you've come. Offline Support: Core content is available offline so you can keep studying even without a connection. Learning to speak Japanese takes consistency, and this app is built around that. Short daily sessions, a streak to keep you motivated, and a variety of exercise types mean you're always practicing in a way that feels fresh. Whether you're working on Japanese words, building up your listening skills, or getting comfortable with everyday phrases, there's always something to do. Free Plan: The free plan covers the full basic learning journey. You can follow the daily vocabulary learning plan, study with the core Words modules, complete standard word exercises, learn 5 sentences in each of the 30 phrase categories, review with spaced repetition, and track your progress in the Stats section. Premium Plan: Premium gives you everything in the free plan plus advanced word practice tools including Weak Spot, Speed Test, and Matching. You also get access to 100 sentences per category in the Phrasebook, along with Sentence Search, Sentence Review, and Listening Lab for a deeper, faster study experience. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.chaptio.com/language/privacy-policy.html

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

Japanese Learning4 screens
Setsumei4 screens

Verdict

The call

Japanese Learning and Setsumei are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Japanese Learning sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Setsumei sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Japanese Learning versus Setsumei: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJapanese LearningSetsumei
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequency—Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB161 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAHMET DOGANIgor Kulman

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Japanese Learning

Subscriptions2
  • Learn Japanese Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Learn Japanese Yearly$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Learn Japanese Lifetime$34.99
1 purchases

Setsumei

One-time1
  • Setsumei Premium$14.99

Questions

Is Japanese Learning free?
Japanese Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Setsumei free?
Setsumei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Japanese Learning or Setsumei have ads?
Neither Japanese Learning nor Setsumei shows ads.

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