Comparison

Hiragana Times vs Nihongo Master Dictionary

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

Head to head
About

Hiragana Times

Learn Japanese and English simultaneously through a bilingual magazine featuring articles on Japanese culture and daily life. Enjoy side-by-side translations, furigana on kanji, and audio narration for an immersive learning experience. Access a library of issues or purchase them individually.

Highlights
  • Bilingual Japanese-English articles
  • Furigana on kanji
  • Katakana word translations
  • Japanese and English audio
  • Print magazine layout
  • Access to issue library
Features
Read full description

Hiragana Times is a bilingual Japanese-English magazine read in more than 100 countries since 1986. Learn Japanese and English at the same time through articles about Japanese culture, daily life and Japan today. FEATURES - Japanese and English appear side by side, so you can follow the meaning without a dictionary. - Furigana on every kanji, with the original English word shown for katakana terms. - Read while listening to Japanese and English audio. - The same content and layout as the print magazine, page by page. - Read on your iPhone, iPad and other devices. SUBSCRIPTION - Subscribers can read every issue in the library. - Single issues are also available. - Restore purchased issues with your Apple ID, Google account or digital ID. ACHIEVEMENTS - Our articles have been used in university entrance exams and textbooks, and as Japanese teaching material at universities abroad. - Awarded the Grand Prize twice at the NTT All Japan Town Magazine Awards. --- Subscriptions: Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically for the same period and price unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://hiraganatimes.com/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://hiraganatimes.com/privacy-policy Delete your account: https://hiraganatimes.com/delete-account

About

Nihongo Master Dictionary

This Japanese dictionary app helps users quickly find words and kanji with example sentences and JLPT levels. Create custom study lists and use flashcards to build vocabulary. It also offers popular study lists for common situations like travel and work.

Highlights
  • Word and kanji lookup
  • Example sentences
  • Related kanji information
  • JLPT level indicators
  • Custom study lists
  • Flashcard vocabulary builder
  • Popular situational study lists
Features
Read full description

Nihongo Master Dictionary is a fast, beautiful, and completely offline Japanese–English dictionary — built for learners at every level, from your first hiragana to JLPT N1. Look up any of 190,000+ words and 6,000+ kanji in an instant, with no internet connection required. Everything lives on your device, so it's always fast and always available — on the train, on a plane, or anywhere. SEARCH ANY WAY YOU THINK • Search in English, Japanese, or rōmaji (type "taberu" or 食べる) • Smart search understands conjugated verbs — 食べました finds 食べる • Results ranked by how common words actually are MASTER KANJI • 6,000+ kanji with meanings, readings, and JLPT level • Watch stroke-order animations, then practice writing with guided feedback • Find any kanji by its radicals • Listen to native pronunciation for many readings UNDERSTAND REAL JAPANESE • Full conjugation tables for every verb and adjective • Paste in a sentence and tap any word to break it down • Real-world example sentences show words in context STUDY & REMEMBER • Star your favorites and revisit recent lookups • Build custom study lists, or add popular community lists • Review with built-in spaced repetition so it sticks Nihongo Master Dictionary is free, supported by ads. A one-time in-app purchase removes ads forever. Ready to go beyond the dictionary? Nihongo Master offers full structured Japanese lessons at nihongomaster.com.

Screenshots

Hiragana Times4 screens
Nihongo Master Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hiragana Times and Nihongo Master Dictionary both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Nihongo Master Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 20% of Hiragana Times's. Hiragana Times's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 21 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Hiragana Times sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month and Nihongo Master Dictionary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Hiragana Times against 4.5 for Nihongo Master Dictionary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hiragana Times has 74 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 20% of Hiragana Times's written reviews are positive against 67% of Nihongo Master Dictionary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hiragana Times ships an update every 2 weeks, Nihongo Master Dictionary every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Hiragana Times versus Nihongo Master Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiragana TimesNihongo Master Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (74 ratings)4.5 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.5% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings74 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 21 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB242 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWe Co.,LtdNihongo Master

Customer experience

Hiragana Times

All ratings74 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive20.5%
Neutral11.4%
Negative68.2%

Nihongo Master Dictionary

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Hiragana Times

Subscriptions5
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$5.491 Month
  • 定期購読$12.993 Months
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$41.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$55.991 Year
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$66.991 Year
One-time5
  • ひらがなタイムズ2013年12月号$4.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2016年2月号$4.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2016年5月号$4.99
Show 2 more
  • ひらがなタイムズ2022年11月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2023年01月号$5.99
1 purchases

Nihongo Master Dictionary

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99

Questions

Is Hiragana Times free?
Hiragana Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nihongo Master Dictionary free?
Nihongo Master Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hiragana Times or Nihongo Master Dictionary?
Nihongo Master Dictionary is rated higher. Hiragana Times averages 4.4 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Nihongo Master Dictionary averages 4.5 from 6 ratings.
Do Hiragana Times or Nihongo Master Dictionary have ads?
Nihongo Master Dictionary shows ads; Hiragana Times does not.
Which is updated more often, Hiragana Times or Nihongo Master Dictionary?
Hiragana Times ships an update every 2 weeks, and Nihongo Master Dictionary every 21 months. Most recently, Hiragana Times was updated on November 6, 2026 and Nihongo Master Dictionary on November 3, 2026.

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