Comparison

Ringotan vs JBP I 4th Lite

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

Head to head
About

Ringotan

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
Read full description

Learn Kanji by actually writing it! Ringotan is the first app built from the ground up to teach you how to WRITE Japanese Kanji, not just read them. By combining advanced input detection with industry-standard SRS (spaced repetition) algorithms, Ringotan ensures you learn as fully and quickly as possible. ----------------- Ringotan is free for a limited time. We update frequently, so be sure to check back for new features!

About

JBP I 4th Lite

Features
Read full description

This App is a supplementary study material complementing the Japanese for Busy People I Revised 4th Edition textbook. Use the Lite version, when you study lessons L1 through L5 in the textbook. Each lesson consists of the following segments: WORD POWER TARGET DIALOGUE SPEAKING PRACTICE(S) ADDITIONAL STUDIES QUIZ A BREAK SETTINGS *Choose Hiragana or Roma-ji on each page. ■WORD POWER Word Power is an electronic ""flash cards"" with sound feature for pronunciation. Check off Memorized, once you learn a word. You can later come back and study just the words you have yet to memorize or all of the words in the lesson. Go to Play and choose auto to automatically scroll through images accompanied by sound. Slide the green button to change the setting. ■TARGET DIALOGUE Study the Target Dialogue using the adjustable playback speed. ■SPEAKING PRACTICE(S) Study the Speaking Practice(s) using the adjustable playback speed. ■ADDITIONAL STUDIES This segment includes additional and important materials not covered in the Word Power, Target Dialogue, and Speaking Practice(s) segments. ■QUIZ Take the Quiz on what you have learned. Repeat until you get all the answers right. You can also go back to review the incorrect answers. ■A BREAK Take a break and enjoy of Japanese sceneries. ■SETTINGS The following settings are available: ・Default Hiragana or Roma-ji display in the Target Dialogue, Speaking Practices, and Quiz segments ・Word Power auto play speed ・Clearing the words checked off in Word Power ・Erasing the Quiz score

Screenshots

Ringotan2 screens
JBP I 4th Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ringotan at every 3 days against JBP I 4th Lite's every 47 months. Ringotan also leads on iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, JBP I 4th Lite every 47 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Ringotan versus JBP I 4th Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRingotanJBP I 4th Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (574 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews95.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings574 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 47 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.2 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size206 MB80 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperDaniel PflughoeftAssociation for Japanese-Language Teaching

Bugs and requests

Ringotan

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional issues with stroke order recognition
  • Some kanji pronunciations not accurately represented

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

JBP I 4th Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ringotan

No in-app purchases

None

JBP I 4th Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ringotan free?
Ringotan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is JBP I 4th Lite free?
JBP I 4th Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ringotan or JBP I 4th Lite have ads?
Neither Ringotan nor JBP I 4th Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ringotan or JBP I 4th Lite?
Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, and JBP I 4th Lite every 47 months. Most recently, Ringotan was updated on November 3, 2026 and JBP I 4th Lite on November 2, 2026.

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