# Ringotan vs Immersion Reader

The clearest difference is rating: Ringotan at 4.9 against Immersion Reader's 4.0. Ringotan also leads on review sentiment (98% vs 62%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Immersion Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ringotan asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ringotan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ringotan has 567 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of Ringotan's written reviews are positive against 62% of Immersion Reader's.

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, Immersion Reader every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and July 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ringotan | Immersion Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (567 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews)** | [4.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **567** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | **97.6% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 6 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 206 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) | [Mathew Chan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441199099) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### 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 Ringotan free?

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

### Is Immersion Reader free?

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

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

Ringotan is rated higher. Ringotan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 567 ratings, while Immersion Reader averages 4.0 from 26 ratings.

### Do Ringotan or Immersion Reader have ads?

Neither Ringotan nor Immersion Reader shows ads.

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

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, and Immersion Reader every 6 days. Most recently, Ringotan was updated on September 16, 2026 and Immersion Reader on July 23, 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.*