# Ringotan vs Shaded Learning

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ringotan at none against Shaded Learning's 1. Ringotan also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (574 vs 3). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shaded Learning sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Ringotan asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ringotan against 5.0 for Shaded Learning. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ringotan has 574 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, Shaded Learning weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ringotan | Shaded Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (574 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaded-learning/id6744109632/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **574** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 206 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) | [Shaded](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806099122) |

## 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


### Shaded Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaded-learning/id6744109632)

Master Japanese vocabulary and grammar using spaced repetition and advanced language models. The app intelligently parses your answers, reinforcing incorrect words and strategically using correct ones to build new sentences for faster learning.

**Highlights:** Spaced repetition system, Language model integration, Intelligent answer parsing, Vocabulary acquisition, Grammar learning, Sentence building

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shaded Monthly | $3.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ringotan free?

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

### Is Shaded Learning free?

Shaded Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ringotan or Shaded Learning?

Shaded Learning is rated higher. Ringotan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 574 ratings, while Shaded Learning averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Ringotan or Shaded Learning have ads?

Shaded Learning shows ads; Ringotan does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ringotan or Shaded Learning?

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, and Shaded Learning weekly. Most recently, Ringotan was updated on November 3, 2026 and Shaded Learning on October 30, 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.*