Comparison

Basic Kanji Plus vs Kana Bento

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

Head to head
About

Basic Kanji Plus

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
Read full description

Includes 1167 Kanji and approximately 8000 words from Beginner to Intermediate and Advanced Levels. Animation of Kanji stroke order and text sound of vocabulary included. This is an app based on best-selling Kanji textbooks for Japanese Learners (New Edition) BASIC KANJI BOOK VOL. 1&2 (Bonjinsha Co., Ltd., 2016/2017) INTERMEDIATE KANJI BOOK VOL. 1&2 (Bonjinsha Co., Ltd., 2017) Advantages Readings and stroke order of kanji can be seen with a recording of its pronunciation. Perfect for learners from countries using kanji that may be strong in writing but weak in listening. Includes feature that shows only words that you have not memorized allowing for a more efficient approach to learning. In addition to textbook vocabulary, approximately 1500 frequently used words were newly added from Vocabulary Database for Reading Japanese (VDRJ) Ver. 1.1 (Approximately 750 words using beginner level kanji, and another 750 using intermediate and advanced level kanji) Study Methods and Features Study: Learn vocabulary by looking at the kanji and listening to the pronunciation. You can choose to study “All words” or “Unlearned words”. You can study by looking at the hiragana notation, kanji notation, and text sound. All vocabulary include English translation, example sentences with their English translation and text sound. Kanji information can be seen when learning vocabulary. Check: You can verify that you have learned the vocabulary. You can check and remove memorized vocabulary. Hiragana to kanji notation, kanji to hiragana notation, text sound to kanji notation, and kanji notation to text sound can be checked. List: Approximately 8000 words can be listed. You can see all vocabulary in lesson order and alphabetical order. You can review vocabulary in the lesson order and look up vocabulary in the alphabetical order. Kanji Information can also be viewed in the List section. * Ads: Any advertisements that may interfere with learning are not displayed. *Supported OS: OS10.3.1 or higher is required to install this app. *Depending on model of phone and environment, this app may not operate properly. *  *  * 「Basic Kanji Plus」は日本語学習者向け漢字教科書に準拠した漢字とその漢字を使った語彙を確認できる日本語学習のためのアプリです。 初級から中上級レベルの漢字1167字とその漢字を使った語彙約8000語を収録しています。教科書掲載語彙に加え、Vocabulary Database for Reading Japanese (VDRJ) Ver. 1.1から使用頻度の高い語彙約1500を新たに収録しました。(初級漢字を使った初級語彙約750語、中上級語彙約750語) 〈特長〉 ◆漢字の読みを文字や音声で確認できます。 ◆漢字の筆順をアニメーションで見ることができます。 ◆覚えていない語彙だけを選んで学べる機能付きなので、効率的に学習ができます。 ◆自分の学習状況を読み、漢字、音声ごとに視覚的に確認することができます。 ◆収録語すべてを教科書の課ごとや50音順に確認できるリスト付き。 ◆使用にネット接続を必要としないため、どこでも学習できます。(インストール時のみネット接続が必要) 〈学習方法と機能〉 Study:漢字と語彙を覚える。 ・読み、漢字、音声の3つの機能でいろいろな側面から学べます。 ・「すべての言葉」または「覚えていない言葉」を選んで学習できます。 ・全語彙で例文とその英訳を確認したり、音声を聞くことができます。 ・漢字の音読み、訓読み、筆順や意味のイラストなど詳細情報も確認できます。 Check:漢字と語彙を確認する。 ・1)読み(ひらがな)を見て漢字を確認、2)漢字を見て読み(ひらがな)を確認、3)音声を聞いて漢字を確認、4)漢字を見て音声を確認の4つの方法で覚えているかの確認ができます。 ・Checkで覚えられていないことが分かったら、Studyでその言葉だけをもう一度、復習することができます。 *本アプリには広告は一切表示されません。 *本アプリをご利用いただくにはOS10.3.1以降が必要です。また、機種あるいはその環境によっては、正常に動作しない場合があります。

About

Kana Bento

Learn Hiragana and Katakana through an engaging drag-and-drop game. Practice matching characters to their Romaji with native speaker audio. Ideal for beginners and those reviewing Japanese scripts.

Highlights
  • Drag-and-drop kana matching
  • Native speaker audio
  • Romaji, Hiragana, and Katakana recognition
  • Timed challenges
  • Focus on core kana
  • Distraction-free design
Features
Read full description

Master Hiragana and Katakana the fun way; no flashcards, no rote memorization. Just the core 46 Hiragana and Katakana kanas. Kana Bento turns kana practice into a fast-paced drag-and-drop game. Drag each character to its matching Romaji (or vice versa), with all three scripts, Hiragana, Katakana, and Romaji, in play so you build real recognition, not just memorization. • Hear authentic native speaker pronunciation for every kana, with both male and female voices • Race against the clock and watch your completion time improve as you learn • Train on Hiragana, Katakana, or both • Clean, distraction-free design built for quick daily practice Whether you're just starting Japanese or brushing up before a trip, JLPT exam, or anime binge, Kana Bento makes kana stick.

Screenshots

Basic Kanji Plus4 screens
Kana Bento3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Basic Kanji Plus at Free against Kana Bento's $2.99. Basic Kanji Plus also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Kana Bento's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 48 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

Basic Kanji Plus is free to download; Kana Bento costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Basic Kanji Plus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Basic Kanji Plus ships an update every 48 months, Kana Bento every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Basic Kanji Plus versus Kana Bento: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic Kanji PlusKana Bento
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 48 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size626 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of TsukubaAdrian Gray

Customer experience

Basic Kanji Plus

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Kana Bento

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Basic Kanji Plus

No in-app purchases

None

Kana Bento

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Basic Kanji Plus free?
Basic Kanji Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kana Bento free?
Kana Bento costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Basic Kanji Plus or Kana Bento?
Basic Kanji Plus is rated higher. Basic Kanji Plus averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Kana Bento averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Basic Kanji Plus or Kana Bento have ads?
Neither Basic Kanji Plus nor Kana Bento shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Basic Kanji Plus or Kana Bento?
Basic Kanji Plus ships an update every 48 months, and Kana Bento every 4 days. Most recently, Basic Kanji Plus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Kana Bento on October 24, 2026.

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