Comparison

Skritter vs Satori Reader

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

Head to head
About

Skritter

Master Japanese writing with this app, offering practice for Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Learn through topic-based decks, from travel essentials to cultural themes. Ideal for beginners and those looking to improve character recall.

Highlights
  • Learn Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji
  • Topic-based learning decks
  • Practice character drawing
  • Beginner to advanced levels
  • Review mode
  • Guest access to select decks
Features
Read full description

Practice Japanese writing with Skritter, whether you have a strong grasp of written Japanese and want to remember the characters better or are a beginner who doesn’t know where to start. Skritter has existed for more than 10 years, and for a good reason: our learners are amazing! They help us with feedback, which allows us to create what we think is the best Japanese writing app out there! Japanese writing uses three different scripts; Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Skritter offers all three and you can learn them through our “decks” (similar to a card deck) based on topics and difficulty. Deck examples: - Survival Japanese (for traveling in Japan) - Food and drinks (learn to understand the menus at your favorite Japanese restaurant with delicious sushi, ramen, and other dishes) - Cultural topics like Samurai Japanese - More advanced topics like foreign policy - And many more… First, you learn a character’s meaning, then practice drawing it and before you know it, you’ll want to learn thousands of characters, and words like these two happy users: “If I could only keep one app on my iPod, this would be it without a doubt. Skritter will change your life!” ― Wendy Werneth, UN Translator “Learning to write characters has never been so fun. From writing zero to 2000+ characters in six months!” ― Brian Jackson, Economist Have questions, problems, or feedback? We would love to hear from you. Reach out to us at team@skritter.com --------------------------------- Guest accounts enjoy free access to select decks forever! Unlock Review mode, and study anything you want with a premium subscription, which is available for purchase in the app. Big savings offered on 12-month subscriptions! • One month subscription (automatically renewed until canceled) • 12-month subscription (automatically renewed until canceled) Recurring billing, cancel anytime. Within 24 hours before the subscription period ends, you will be charged through your iTunes account. Manage your subscription from your iTunes App Store settings where you can turn off auto-renewal at any time. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://skritter.com/legal Terms of Use: https://docs.skritter.com/article/133-terms-of-use

About

Satori Reader

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
Read full description

Ready to take your Japanese reading and listening comprehension to the next level? Welcome to Satori Reader. COMPELLING STORIES Read from a growing library of engrossing stories written by native speakers for intermediate students, across genres such as fantasy, slice-of-life, thrillers, documentaries, news, and more. AUDIO Tap any sentence to hear it read aloud by native voice actors (no robots!). ADAPTIVE KANJI USAGE Crack the chicken-and-egg problem of reading kanji with our unique presentation engine, which adjusts the Japanese text to accommodate your actual knowledge. This allows you to challenge yourself for the kanji you should know without being overwhelmed by what you don't. SMART DEFINITIONS Tap any word for a definition. This is more than just an automated lookup. Satori Reader shows the actual sense of each word as it's being used in the sentence. For example, the particle の has many uses: it can indicate possession; it can turn the preceding verb or phrase into a noun; it can stand in for another word; and more. We show you exactly what is happening in every instance of every word. FRIENDLY ANNOTATIONS Gray underlines indicate longer annotations that break down tricky expressions, provide cultural background, or help you to read between the lines. Our editors work hard to anticipate what might be confusing and proactively help you to make sense of things. Good-bye, confusion. Hello, clarity! SPACED REPETITION SYSTEM (SRS) The built-in spaced repetition review system helps you to build your vocabulary. Create review cards instantly as you read. Each card you create takes along a snapshot of the sentence in which you encountered the word, further helping to cement it in your memory. You can even play back the audio of that sentence while reviewing the word! HUMAN FEEDBACK Still confused about something? Just ask in the discussion section below each episode. Our team of friendly human beings is ready to help. Satori Reader is built by a team that cares. Our goal is to bring satori (enlightenment) into your Japanese reading life. Set up a free account today, and let's get started. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ▪ OPTIONS: Download the app for free and enjoy unlimited access to the first two episodes of each series (new series released regularly), plus complete access to special series such as Closeup: Obon Society. Subscribed for unlimited access to the entire Satori Reader library of more than 1200 episodes (new episodes released each week), including crystal-clear audio, helpful annotations, and real human feedback. Try your first month FREE (limit one per customer; cannot be used in combination with other introductory offers; offers subject to change). ▪ EXTRAS: Your subscription to Satori Reader comes with complimentary web access, as well as access to Satori Reader on all your smartphones and tablets. ▪ PRIVACY POLICY: https://www.satorireader.com/privacy ▪ TERMS OF SERVICE: https://www.satorireader.com/terms ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ▪ Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase (following any trial period). ▪ Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. ▪ Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. ▪ Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. ▪ Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. ▪ Cancel your subscription at any time. If you cancel, you will retain full access to Satori Reader for the period you paid for and you will not be billed again. If you have any questions, write to support@satorireader.com for speedy assistance. Thank you for your business!

Screenshots

Skritter4 screens
Satori Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Skritter at monthly against Satori Reader's every 3 months. Satori Reader's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 79%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Skritter sells 11 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Satori Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 170 and 218 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Skritter's written reviews are positive against 90% of Satori Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skritter ships an update monthly, Satori Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Skritter versus Satori Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkritterSatori Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (170 ratings)4.8 (218 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews90.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings170218 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB81 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperInkren, Inc.Brak Software, Inc.

Customer experience

Skritter

All ratings170 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral3.5%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative13.2%

Satori Reader

All ratings217 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative7.5%

Bugs and requests

Skritter

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Satori Reader

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Skritter

Subscriptions11
  • Skritter Premium (1 month)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Skritter Premium (1 Month)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Skritter Premium (1 month)14 Days trial$14.991 Month
Show 8 more
  • Skritter Premium (1 month)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Skritter Premium (6 Months)7 Days trial$59.996 Months
  • Skritter Premium (6 month)14 Days trial$59.996 Months
  • Skritter Premium (6 month)7 Days trial$69.996 Months
  • Skritter Premium (1 Year)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Skritter Premium (1 year)14 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Skritter Premium (1 year)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Skritter Premium (1 year)7 Days trial$119.991 Year
3 purchases

Satori Reader

Subscriptions3
  • Satori Reader Monthly1 Month trial4 variants$8.991 Month
  • Satori Reader Annual1 Month trial$89.991 Year
  • Satori Reader Annual1 Year trial3 variants$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Skritter free?
Skritter 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, Skritter or Satori Reader?
Satori Reader is rated higher. Skritter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 170 ratings, while Satori Reader averages 4.8 from 218 ratings.
Do Skritter or Satori Reader have ads?
Neither Skritter nor Satori Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skritter or Satori Reader?
Skritter ships an update monthly, and Satori Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Skritter was updated on October 24, 2026 and Satori Reader on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons