# Kanji Study vs Polyo

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Polyo at none against Kanji Study's 8. Polyo also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Kanji Study's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 6). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Polyo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kanji Study has 7.3K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Kanji Study's written reviews are positive against 100% of Polyo's.

Kanji Study ships an update every 2 days, Polyo monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kanji Study | Polyo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-study-learn-japanese/id1078107994/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polyo/id6760245870/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 67.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 140 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luli Languages LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/972910241) | [Kaleb McKelvey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883445883) |

## What reviewers say

### Kanji Study

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

Master Japanese kanji through vocabulary words, not rote memorization. Features writing practice with stroke detection, spaced repetition reviews, and full JLPT level coverage. Learn kanji naturally, one word at a time, with audio pronunciation. Works offline and is ideal for JLPT test prep.

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


### Polyo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polyo/id6760245870)

This app helps you monitor your progress in learning multiple languages. Log study hours, categorize activities, and track your growth to stay consistent and accountable on your learning journey.

**Highlights:** Track language study across multiple languages, Log study hours, Categorize learning activities, Monitor language learning growth, Promotes consistency and accountability

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kanji Study free?

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

### Is Polyo free?

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

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

Polyo is rated higher. Kanji Study averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Polyo averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Kanji Study or Polyo have ads?

Neither Kanji Study nor Polyo shows ads.

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

Kanji Study ships an update every 2 days, and Polyo monthly. Most recently, Kanji Study was updated on October 31, 2026 and Polyo on October 28, 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.*