# Kanji Study vs Ringotan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ringotan at none against Kanji Study's 8. Ringotan also leads on review sentiment (98% vs 69%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Kanji Study's advantage is ratings volume (7.2K vs 567). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kanji Study sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Ringotan asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ringotan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kanji Study has 7.2K ratings behind it against 567, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Kanji Study's written reviews are positive against 98% of Ringotan's.

Kanji Study ships an update every 2 days, Ringotan every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kanji Study | Ringotan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-study-learn-japanese/id1078107994/reviews) | **[4.9 (567 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.2K** | 567 |
| Positive reviews | 69.4% of reviews | **97.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 3 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 131 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **12.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luli Languages LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/972910241) | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) |

## What reviewers say

### Kanji Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-study-learn-japanese/id1078107994)

This app teaches Japanese kanji by focusing on vocabulary words. It offers writing practice with stroke detection and spaced repetition reviews for effective memorization. Learn kanji readings naturally through over 5,000 JLPT-aligned words.

**Highlights:** Vocabulary-first kanji learning, Writing lessons with stroke detection, Spaced repetition reviews, Full JLPT N5-N1 coverage, Audio pronunciation, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Level 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Level 2 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Level 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Level 4 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Level 5 | $14.99 | one-time |
| All Levels | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for learning kanji
- 👍 Effective review system
- 💡 Organized by JLPT levels
- 👍 Affordable one-time purchase
- 👍 Helps with writing practice and muscle memory

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sensitive kanji recognition, sometimes doesn't accept correct strokes
- 🐛 Review sessions can get very long and tedious
- 🐛 Inconsistent kanji definitions and translations
- 🐛 Lack of syncing progress across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Certain kanji not recognized correctly
- App crashing or freezing, especially during long review sessions
- Progress not syncing across devices

**Requested features**

- Option to customize review sessions (select specific kanji, JLPT levels, etc.)
- Add both on and kun readings for kanji
- Implement sentence practice and vocabulary exercises
- Add support for more languages (e.g. Russian)


### Ringotan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064)

Master Japanese Kanji by practicing writing. This app uses advanced input detection and spaced repetition to help you learn quickly and effectively. Focuses on the physical act of writing characters, not just recognition.

**Highlights:** Learn Kanji by writing, Advanced input detection, Spaced repetition system (SRS), Focus on writing, not just reading, Frequent updates with new features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective kanji learning system
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔓 No ads or paywalls
- 💡 Customizable settings and integration with other resources
- 🎨 Visually pleasing and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Keyword hints not always clear enough
- 🔀 Limited ability to customize word lists
- 🔆 Light mode only, no dark mode option
- 🔍 Difficulty identifying which kanji is being tested at times

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional issues with stroke order recognition
- Some kanji pronunciations not accurately represented

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Allow users to create and save custom kanji lists
- Provide more detailed keyword hints before writing
- Implement device sync to continue progress across platforms
- Add notification system to remind users of upcoming reviews


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kanji Study free?

Kanji Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ringotan free?

Ringotan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Kanji Study or Ringotan?

Ringotan is rated higher. Kanji Study averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.2K ratings, while Ringotan averages 4.9 from 567 ratings.

### Do Kanji Study or Ringotan have ads?

Neither Kanji Study nor Ringotan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kanji Study or Ringotan?

Kanji Study ships an update every 2 days, and Ringotan every 3 days. Most recently, Kanji Study was updated on September 25, 2026 and Ringotan on September 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*