Comparison

Satori Reader vs Japanese Keyboard Trainer

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

Head to head
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!

About

Japanese Keyboard Trainer

Master Japanese hiragana and katakana with this fun and interactive app. Learn to type quickly on a flick keyboard with gamified challenges and progress tracking. Features a unique learning approach with a humorous, critical sensei.

Highlights
  • Learn hiragana and katakana side-by-side
  • Practice typing on a flick keyboard
  • Gamified challenges with leaderboards
  • Flashcards with pronunciation and romaji
  • Progress tracking and game stats
  • Customizable settings (themes, haptics)
Features
Read full description

Ever notice that kana apps always split things in two? Hiragana now. Katakana… someday. (And then you never really learn a few of the katakana.) And why are we learning the stroke order as beginners? Are we going to paint someone a letter? No! We need to know how to type on that cool 12-key Japanese フリック入力 flick keyboard! Cyber Kana makes it fun and easy to learn the kana (hiragana and katakana side by side) and get really fast on the Japanese keyboard. Try it now! Be warned: A snarky Japanese-speaking sensei insults you mercilessly while you learn. がんばって! GAME MODE • Jam out to techno music while you race the clock. • Stuck on a kana? Tap "?" and the keyboard itself shows you exactly which keys to press and which way to flick. • Claim your spot on the Worldwide Leaderboard, ranked by Highest Scores and Longest Streaks! STUDY MODE • Flashcards with hiragana and katakana side by side. • Tap the card to reveal the romaji and hear the pronunciation. • Star the sounds you've learned, filter by type, and shuffle the deck. AND MORE • Game stats to track your progress over time. • Lots of customizable settings: Light Mode / Dark Mode, Fonts, Sensei Mood, Haptic Feedback, and more. • Optional: Sign in to save progress and sync across devices. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Satori Reader4 screens
Japanese Keyboard Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Japanese Keyboard Trainer at every 5 days against Satori Reader's every 3 months. Japanese Keyboard Trainer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Satori Reader's advantage is ratings volume (218 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Satori Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Japanese Keyboard Trainer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Japanese Keyboard Trainer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Satori Reader has 218 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Satori Reader ships an update every 3 months, Japanese Keyboard Trainer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Satori Reader versus Japanese Keyboard Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSatori ReaderJapanese Keyboard Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (218 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings218 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB150 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBrak Software, Inc.deLily Apps, Inc.

Customer experience

Satori Reader

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

Japanese Keyboard Trainer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

Japanese Keyboard Trainer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
4 purchases

Japanese Keyboard Trainer

Subscriptions2
  • Keyboard Trainer Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Keyboard Trainer Yearly$4.991 Year
One-time2
  • Cyber Kana Gold Logo$0.99
  • Keyboard Trainer Lifetime$6.99

Questions

Is Satori Reader free?
Satori Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Japanese Keyboard Trainer free?
Japanese Keyboard Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Satori Reader or Japanese Keyboard Trainer?
Japanese Keyboard Trainer is rated higher. Satori Reader averages 4.8 out of 5 from 218 ratings, while Japanese Keyboard Trainer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Satori Reader or Japanese Keyboard Trainer have ads?
Neither Satori Reader nor Japanese Keyboard Trainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Satori Reader or Japanese Keyboard Trainer?
Satori Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Japanese Keyboard Trainer every 5 days. Most recently, Satori Reader was updated on November 2, 2026 and Japanese Keyboard Trainer on November 6, 2026.

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