# Learn Characters AD vs Bunpo

Learn Characters AD and Bunpo both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Bunpo's written reviews are positive against 33% of Learn Characters AD's. Bunpo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 29 months). Learn Characters AD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Learn Characters AD asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Learn Characters AD against 4.9 for Bunpo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Learn Characters AD's written reviews are positive against 73% of Bunpo's.

Learn Characters AD ships an update every 29 months, Bunpo every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn Characters AD | Bunpo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-characters-ad/id1221249612/reviews)** | [4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **18K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HARASHOW Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/356148278) | [Bunpo Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279720051) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn Characters AD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-characters-ad/id1221249612)

This app helps users learn to write letters and display words clearly. It's ideal for teaching children, displaying complex characters, or helping foreigners learn a new language.

**Highlights:** Display favorite letters and words large, Teach letter writing with finger tracing, Suitable for children's learning, Useful for displaying complex characters, Aid for learning native language writing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bunpo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052)

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

**Highlights:** Learn 6 languages, Master grammar with detailed explanations, Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge, Spaced repetition for smart review, Interactive quizzes and example sentences, Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunpo Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for learning Japanese
- 👍 Well-designed and organized
- 👍 Explains grammar and usage well
- 👍 Customizable to learning needs
- 👍 Effective spaced repetition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Too much content locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported
- 🐛 Issues with keyboard and text display
- 🐛 Inconsistencies in question answers
- 🔒 Lack of offline access to paid content

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during lesson reviews
- Incorrect answers marked as wrong
- Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
- Audio playback problems

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support for tablets
- Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
- Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
- Add more languages beyond Japanese


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learn Characters AD free?

Learn Characters AD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bunpo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Learn Characters AD or Bunpo?

Learn Characters AD is rated higher. Learn Characters AD averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Bunpo averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.

### Do Learn Characters AD or Bunpo have ads?

Learn Characters AD shows ads; Bunpo does not.

### Which is updated more often, Learn Characters AD or Bunpo?

Learn Characters AD ships an update every 29 months, and Bunpo every 9 days. Most recently, Learn Characters AD was updated on August 12, 2026 and Bunpo on September 27, 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.*