# Bubuling Nihongo vs Hanzi Pen

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hanzi Pen at none against Bubuling Nihongo's 3. Bubuling Nihongo's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.2). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bubuling Nihongo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Hanzi Pen asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Bubuling Nihongo against 5.0 for Hanzi Pen. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bubuling Nihongo | Hanzi Pen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubuling-nihongo/id1618588210/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-pen/id6769551367/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 165 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Codingmiao PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1842123649) | [Alexander Knue](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896517402) |

## What reviewers say

### Bubuling Nihongo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bubuling-nihongo/id1618588210)

This app helps you learn Japanese vocabulary through curated paths and interactive quizzes. It offers features like word lookups, handwriting input, and progress tracking to make studying efficient and engaging.

**Highlights:** Curated vocabulary study paths, Instant word lookups, Multiple quiz modes, Handwriting input for kanji, Progress tracking, Study reminders, Cross-device progress sync

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro (1 Month) | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro (1 Year) | $5.99 | per year |
| Pro (Lifetime) | $69.99 | one-time |


### Hanzi Pen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-pen/id6769551367)

Master Chinese characters through guided writing practice with per-stroke feedback. Features spaced repetition, etymology, example sentences, and measure-word coaching. Supports HSK vocabulary and handwriting search.

**Highlights:** Guided stroke-order writing practice, Per-stroke feedback on writing, Spaced repetition system (SRS), Character etymology and decomposition, Real-world example sentences, Measure-word coaching, Handwriting search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bubuling Nihongo free?

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

### Is Hanzi Pen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bubuling Nihongo or Hanzi Pen?

Bubuling Nihongo and Hanzi Pen are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Bubuling Nihongo or Hanzi Pen have ads?

Neither Bubuling Nihongo nor Hanzi Pen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bubuling Nihongo or Hanzi Pen?

Bubuling Nihongo ships an update fortnightly, and Hanzi Pen fortnightly. Most recently, Bubuling Nihongo was updated on October 8, 2026 and Hanzi Pen on October 15, 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.*