Comparison

Manabu vs Kanji Write

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

Head to head
About

Manabu

Features
Read full description

Manabu is your ultimate Japanese study companion, made to assist you at any stage of your Japanese learning journey. Improve your proficiency with Kanji practice, flash cards, Wanikani integration and much more. * Study actions * Kanji writing: Learn how to write any Kanji correctly. Provides a guided animation, so you never have to feel intimidated by a complex-looking Kanji character * Flash cards: Create & Study flash cards from radicals, kanji, vocabulary, or grammar. * Integrate your Wanikani account directly into the app, so you never have to miss a lesson or review! * Rich references * Over 6,500 Kanji characters with guided stroke animations, On’yomi and Kun’yomi readings. * Over 170,000 vocabulary entries with readings, meanings and example sentences. * Grammar content populated weekly (**Premium**) * Quickly find any entry using search: * find using romaji, kana or kanji * find kanji by their radical components. *Manabu Premium features* * Sync your notes and history across all your devices * Level up your study experience with access to grammar entries (beta) * access to new premium features as they are added to Manabu β€”β€”β€” β€”β€”β€”β€” $1.49 monthly, with a one week free trial $14.99 yearly, with a one month free trial (save 18%) Price may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will not be able to cancel the subscription once activated. After purchase, manage your subscriptions in your App Store Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. β€”β€”β€” β€”β€”β€”β€” **Contact** If you have any questions, issues or suggestions, please contact us at manabu@mosaicdreamers.com **Privacy Policy** https://getmanabu.app/privacy **Terms of Service** https://getmanabu.app/terms-of-service

About

Kanji Write

Features
Read full description

Learn to write Japanese by hand: kanji, hiragana and katakana, with correct stroke order and instant feedback on every stroke. Kanji Write teaches you to write Japanese stroke by stroke: over 2,000 JLPT kanji plus basic hiragana and katakana, including voiced forms. Practice with your finger on iPhone or with Apple Pencil on iPad, and build real muscle memory. β—† Correct Stroke Order Every character is animated stroke by stroke and color-coded, so you learn the right order and direction from the start. No guessing, no bad habits. β—† Instant Feedback Each stroke you draw is checked against the correct shape and order. Miss a few times in Guided mode and a hint appears automatically. β—† Trace. Guide. Memorize. Three practice modes: trace over the character, follow the strokes one at a time, then write it from memory with the guides hidden. β—† Hiragana & Katakana All 46 basic kana in both scripts, plus the voiced forms (が, ぱ…). Search by romaji: type "ka" to find か and γ‚«. β—† Complete JLPT Library (N5–N1) Filter kanji by JLPT level, search by meaning or reading, and see on'yomi, kun'yomi and meanings for every character. β—† Built for Apple Pencil & iPad Pressure and tilt shape every stroke like a real brush. On iPad, practice in a notebook-style grid, like a calligraphy workbook. β—† Quick Sessions Tap play for a random set of characters from any level or script and review your results at the end.

Screenshots

Manabu4 screens
Kanji Write4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kanji Write at none against Manabu's 2. Manabu's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Manabu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Kanji Write asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Manabu ships an update every 2 weeks, Kanji Write every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Manabu versus Kanji Write: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterManabuKanji Write
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 β€” better16.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size237 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMosaicDreamers Inc.Anastasiia Trofimova

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Manabu

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Annual Pro Subscription1 Month trial$14.991 Year
None

Kanji Write

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Manabu free?
Manabu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kanji Write free?
Kanji Write is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Manabu or Kanji Write have ads?
Neither Manabu nor Kanji Write shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Manabu or Kanji Write?
Manabu ships an update every 2 weeks, and Kanji Write every 3 weeks. Most recently, Manabu was updated on October 27, 2026 and Kanji Write on October 24, 2026.

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