# Basic Kanji Plus vs Learn Kanji

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Basic Kanji Plus at 100% against Learn Kanji's 50%. Basic Kanji Plus also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Learn Kanji's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 48 months) and ratings volume (16 vs 3). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn Kanji sells 2 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn Kanji has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Basic Kanji Plus's written reviews are positive against 50% of Learn Kanji's.

Basic Kanji Plus ships an update every 48 months, Learn Kanji fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Kanji Plus | Learn Kanji |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-kanji-plus/id1339494520/reviews)** | [4.3 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-kanji-1st-grade-writing/id1462606964/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 48 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 626 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Tsukuba](https://appshunter.io/developer/859802324) | [Junpei Shimotsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/882299124) |

## 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


### Learn Kanji

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-kanji-1st-grade-writing/id1462606964)

Master the 80 essential kanji for Japanese first graders. Practice reading, writing, and pronunciation with clear stroke order guides and audio. Track your learning progress and earn rewards.

**Highlights:** Learn 80 first-grade kanji, Practice reading and writing, Audio pronunciation, Clear stroke order, Progress tracking with medals, Summary tests

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| delete_ad | $0.99 | per month |
| Ad Removal + Unlock All Features | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic Kanji Plus free?

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

### Is Learn Kanji free?

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

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

Basic Kanji Plus is rated higher. Basic Kanji Plus averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Learn Kanji averages 4.3 from 16 ratings.

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

Learn Kanji shows ads; Basic Kanji Plus does not.

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

Basic Kanji Plus ships an update every 48 months, and Learn Kanji fortnightly. Most recently, Basic Kanji Plus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Learn Kanji on October 26, 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.*