# Kichi vs Immersion Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kichi at 100% against Immersion Reader's 62%. Kichi also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0). Immersion Reader's advantage is ratings volume (27 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kichi sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Immersion Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Kichi holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Immersion Reader has 27 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Kichi's written reviews are positive against 62% of Immersion Reader's.

Kichi ships an update every 10 days, Immersion Reader every 6 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kichi | Immersion Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kichi-read-and-study-japanese/id1517965128/reviews)** | [4.0 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 179 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Robert Sherling](https://appshunter.io/developer/1517965127) | [Mathew Chan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441199099) |

## What reviewers say

### Kichi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kichi-read-and-study-japanese/id1517965128)

This app helps you learn Japanese by making reading easier. It provides instant definitions, pronunciation guides, and smart flashcards with adaptive learning to help you remember new words and improve your reading skills.

**Highlights:** Instant in-context definitions, Audio pronunciation guide, Smart flashcard creation, Adaptive learning lessons, Gamified progress tracking, Customizable flashcards

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kichi One Month Renewing | $8.99 | per month |
| Kichi One Year Renewing | $84.99 | per year |


### Immersion Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334)

Easily look up Japanese words while reading ebooks with a single tap. Import custom dictionaries and export saved vocabulary for spaced repetition learning. Offers customizable themes for a comfortable reading experience.

**Highlights:** One-tap word lookup in Japanese ebooks, Import Yomichan and frequency dictionaries, Export vocabulary to Anki, Light and dark mode themes, Lookup neighboring words

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Immersion Reader Premium | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kichi free?

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

### Is Immersion Reader free?

Immersion Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Kichi or Immersion Reader?

Kichi is rated higher. Kichi averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Immersion Reader averages 4.0 from 27 ratings.

### Do Kichi or Immersion Reader have ads?

Neither Kichi nor Immersion Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kichi or Immersion Reader?

Kichi ships an update every 10 days, and Immersion Reader every 6 days. Most recently, Kichi was updated on November 3, 2026 and Immersion Reader 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.*