Ringotan vs Maneki Kanji
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Learn Kanji by writing
- Advanced input detection
- Spaced repetition system (SRS)
- Focus on writing, not just reading
- Frequent updates with new features
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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!
Maneki Kanji
Master Japanese kanji with vocabulary, components, hiragana, furigana, and romaji. Create custom study decks and test your knowledge with quizzes and flashcards. Offers a free trial for subscription plans.
- Kanji mastery through vocabulary and components
- Includes hiragana, furigana, and romaji
- Build custom study decks
- Review with quizzes and flashcards
- Free trial for subscriptions
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Learn to read Japanese by mastering kanji through vocabulary and components! Includes hiragana, furigana, and romaji. Build custom decks, and review through quizzes and flashcards. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ringotan at none against Maneki Kanji's 3. Ringotan also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (574 vs 7). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Maneki Kanji sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Ringotan asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ringotan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ringotan has 574 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 96% of Ringotan's written reviews are positive against 100% of Maneki Kanji's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, Maneki Kanji every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Ringotan | Maneki Kanji |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (574 ratings) — better | 4.4 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 574 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 206 MB | 189 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Pflughoeft | shawn holan |
Customer experience
Ringotan
Maneki Kanji
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
Maneki Kanji
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ringotan
No in-app purchases
Maneki Kanji
- Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Lifetime subscription$17.99
