Manabu vs Kanji Write
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Manabu
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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, Onβyomi and Kunβyomi 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 βββ ββββ $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. βββ ββββ **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
Kanji Write
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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 (γ, γ±β¦). Search by romaji: type "ka" to find γ and γ«. β Complete JLPT Library (N5βN1) 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Manabu | Kanji Write |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks β better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No β better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 β better | 16.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 237 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MosaicDreamers Inc. | Anastasiia Trofimova |
In-app purchases
Manabu
- Monthly Pro subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Annual Pro Subscription1 Month trial$14.991 Year
Kanji Write
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Manabu free?
Is Kanji Write free?
Do Manabu or Kanji Write have ads?
Which is updated more often, Manabu or Kanji Write?
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