# Bunpo vs Satori Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bunpo at every 9 days against Satori Reader's every 3 months. Bunpo also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 215). Satori Reader's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 73%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Satori Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Bunpo against 4.8 for Satori Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 215, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Bunpo's written reviews are positive against 90% of Satori Reader's.

Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, Satori Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bunpo | Satori Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052/reviews)** | [4.8 (215 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satori-reader/id1382950847/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 215 |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | **90.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 189 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Bunpo Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279720051) | [Brak Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/304088759) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Satori Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satori-reader/id1382950847)

Enhance your Japanese reading and listening skills with engaging stories written by native speakers. Features adaptive kanji, smart definitions, and spaced repetition to build vocabulary. Get clarity with friendly annotations and human feedback.

**Highlights:** Compelling stories by native speakers, Audio narration by voice actors, Adaptive kanji presentation, Smart word definitions, Friendly annotations, Spaced repetition vocabulary review, Human feedback and support

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Satori Reader Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Satori Reader Annual | $89.99 | per year |
| Satori Reader Annual | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for improving reading and listening skills
- 👍 Detailed grammar and vocabulary explanations
- 🎨 Customizable display settings for kanji/furigana
- 💡 Integrated spaced repetition flashcard system
- 🎧 High-quality voice acting and audio

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or sync issues
- 🕰️ Lack of speed control for audio playback
- 💰 Subscription-based model can be expensive
- 🔍 Limited search/navigation functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account creation problems
- Syncing and loading delays on some devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to loop audio playback
- Kanji lookup/learning tools integration
- More advanced/diverse content selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bunpo free?

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

### Is Satori Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bunpo or Satori Reader?

Bunpo is rated higher. Bunpo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Satori Reader averages 4.8 from 215 ratings.

### Do Bunpo or Satori Reader have ads?

Neither Bunpo nor Satori Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bunpo or Satori Reader?

Bunpo ships an update every 9 days, and Satori Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Bunpo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Satori Reader on September 20, 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.*