Comparison

VLJ Grammar Lite vs Ringotan

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

Head to head
About

VLJ Grammar Lite

Features
Read full description

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ Let's learn Japanese with the intelligible method! ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ With this app, you can experience how easy it is to learn Japanese by the unique and original learning method (*1) with cards of various colors and shapes, which represent each part of speech. This renewal version of VLJ Grammar Lite contains much more quizzes. *This free application with limited well-selected contents, is a part of the new cloud-based Japanese language educational service "Visual Learning .Japanese", which is provided by NTT ExC Partner Corporation. Please use “VLJ Grammar” app(*2) which comes with full contents, not this app; “VLJ Grammar Lite”, if you are the students of the VLJ course provided by your company or your school. 【Main Functions】 Users can enjoy and learn grammar, vocabulary and expressions with quizzes which use unique interface of smartphone devices, such as dragging and tapping words. In addition, users can learn not only the grammatical structure of Japanese but also the pronunciation of native Japanese speakers. You can try well-selected 45 quizzes in this lite version. (In the “VLJ Grammar” App, which is for students in the VLJ course, you can try more than 1,000 quizzes.) (*1) This method is called “The Ezoe Method”, which is a Japanese learning method developed with nearly 40-year devotion by Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute. By visualizing sentence structures with original cards learners can understand Japanese in a very intuitive way. (*2) ID and Password will be required. 【Default languages】 English Japanese Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) Simplified Chinese (简体中文) French (français) Portuguese (português) Arabic (العربية) Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

About

Ringotan

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
Read full description

Learn Kanji by actually writing it! Ringotan is the first app built from the ground up to teach you how to WRITE Japanese Kanji, not just read them. By combining advanced input detection with industry-standard SRS (spaced repetition) algorithms, Ringotan ensures you learn as fully and quickly as possible. ----------------- Ringotan is free for a limited time. We update frequently, so be sure to check back for new features!

Screenshots

VLJ Grammar Lite4 screens
Ringotan2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ringotan at every 3 days against VLJ Grammar Lite's every 8 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLJ Grammar Lite ships an update every 8 months, Ringotan every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 9, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
VLJ Grammar Lite versus Ringotan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLJ Grammar LiteRingotan
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (567 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—95.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—567 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better12.2
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB206 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNTT Learning Systems Corporation.Daniel Pflughoeft

Bugs and requests

VLJ Grammar Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Ringotan

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

VLJ Grammar Lite

No in-app purchases

None

Ringotan

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VLJ Grammar Lite free?
VLJ Grammar Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ringotan free?
Ringotan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do VLJ Grammar Lite or Ringotan have ads?
Neither VLJ Grammar Lite nor Ringotan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VLJ Grammar Lite or Ringotan?
VLJ Grammar Lite ships an update every 8 months, and Ringotan every 3 days. Most recently, VLJ Grammar Lite was updated on October 9, 2026 and Ringotan on October 9, 2026.

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