# Learn Japanese vs Ringotan

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ringotan at every 3 days against Learn Japanese's every 5 weeks. Ringotan also leads on iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.0). Learn Japanese's advantage is ratings volume (1.9K vs 574). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Learn Japanese against 4.9 for Ringotan. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 574 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Learn Japanese's written reviews are positive against 96% of Ringotan's.

Learn Japanese ships an update every 5 weeks, Ringotan every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn Japanese | Ringotan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-sensei/id1495789984/reviews) | **[4.9 (574 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 574 |
| Positive reviews | 91.2% of reviews | **95.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 47 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [App to Learn Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541592140) | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn Japanese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-japanese-sensei/id1495789984)

Master Japanese grammar with this comprehensive guide. Learn intuitively from a Japanese perspective with 69 free lessons, progress tracking, and vocabulary audio. Covers everything from writing systems to advanced topics.

**Highlights:** 69 free grammar lessons, Progress tracking, Note taking per lesson, Vocabulary audio and stroke order, Intuitive Japanese-centric explanations, Covers writing systems, basic to advanced grammar

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive and helpful
- 👍 Well-structured and clear
- 👍 Convenient to use on mobile
- 👍 Excellent grammar explanations
- 👍 Logical and analytical approach

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio/sound issues
- 🐛 Lesson content disappearing when app suspended
- 🐛 Difficulty with self-evaluation and exercises
- 🔍 Lack of interactive features (quizzes, flashcards, etc.)
- 🔍 Overwhelming amount of text-based content

**Reported bugs**

- Exercises not working on Mac version
- Kanji readings not displayed in some cases
- Text formatting issues with dark mode

**Requested features**

- Add read-aloud functionality
- Implement more interactive learning elements
- Provide a search function for easier navigation
- Offer cloud sync and cross-device progress tracking
- Add handwriting recognition for kanji practice


### Ringotan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064)

Master Japanese Kanji by practicing writing. This app uses advanced input detection and spaced repetition to help you learn quickly and effectively. Focuses on the physical act of writing characters, not just recognition.

**Highlights:** Learn Kanji by writing, Advanced input detection, Spaced repetition system (SRS), Focus on writing, not just reading, Frequent updates with new features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective kanji learning system
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔓 No ads or paywalls
- 💡 Customizable settings and integration with other resources
- 🎨 Visually pleasing and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Keyword hints not always clear enough
- 🔀 Limited ability to customize word lists
- 🔆 Light mode only, no dark mode option
- 🔍 Difficulty identifying which kanji is being tested at times

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional issues with stroke order recognition
- Some kanji pronunciations not accurately represented

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Allow users to create and save custom kanji lists
- Provide more detailed keyword hints before writing
- Implement device sync to continue progress across platforms
- Add notification system to remind users of upcoming reviews


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learn Japanese free?

Learn Japanese is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ringotan free?

Ringotan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Learn Japanese or Ringotan?

Ringotan is rated higher. Learn Japanese averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Ringotan averages 4.9 from 574 ratings.

### Do Learn Japanese or Ringotan have ads?

Neither Learn Japanese nor Ringotan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Learn Japanese or Ringotan?

Learn Japanese ships an update every 5 weeks, and Ringotan every 3 days. Most recently, Learn Japanese was updated on November 7, 2026 and Ringotan on November 3, 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.*