# Basic Kanji Plus vs Jareads

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Basic Kanji Plus at none against Jareads's 10. Basic Kanji Plus also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Jareads's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 48 months) and ratings volume (20 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Jareads sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Basic Kanji Plus asks for nothing beyond the download.

Basic Kanji Plus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Jareads has 20 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Basic Kanji Plus ships an update every 48 months, Jareads monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Kanji Plus | Jareads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-kanji-plus/id1339494520/reviews)** | [4.7 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jareads-learn-japanese/id1449852076/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **20** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 48 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 626 MB | 163 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Tsukuba](https://appshunter.io/developer/859802324) | [Tran Hieu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257860042) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic Kanji Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-kanji-plus/id1339494520)

Master Japanese kanji and vocabulary with this comprehensive learning tool. It features animated stroke orders, pronunciation audio, and personalized study methods based on best-selling textbooks. Efficiently learn and review thousands of words and characters.

**Highlights:** 1167 Kanji and 8000 Vocabulary, Animated Kanji stroke order, Vocabulary pronunciation audio, Personalized study modes, English translations and example sentences, Offline learning capability

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Jareads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jareads-learn-japanese/id1449852076)

Master Japanese with engaging articles, news, and interactive flashcards. Features include furigana support, JLPT explanations, and a kanji matching game. Learn vocabulary and grammar through real-world examples tailored to your skill level.

**Highlights:** Japanese news articles, Furigana support, Vocabulary flashcards, JLPT comprehension quizzes, Kanji matching game, Multi-language support

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jareads Plus Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Jareads Plus Three Months | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Jareads Plus Yearly | $6.99 | per year |
| Jareads Plus Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| 100 coins for plus member | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1000 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1000 coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Jareads Plus One Time Purchase | $17.99 | one-time |
| Jareads Plus Lifetime | $17.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic Kanji Plus free?

Basic Kanji Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Jareads free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Basic Kanji Plus or Jareads?

Basic Kanji Plus is rated higher. Basic Kanji Plus averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Jareads averages 4.7 from 20 ratings.

### Do Basic Kanji Plus or Jareads have ads?

Jareads shows ads; Basic Kanji Plus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Basic Kanji Plus or Jareads?

Basic Kanji Plus ships an update every 48 months, and Jareads monthly. Most recently, Basic Kanji Plus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Jareads on October 24, 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.*