# Ringotan vs HelloReader!

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ringotan at every 3 days against HelloReader!'s every 3 weeks. Ringotan also leads on iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, HelloReader! every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ringotan | HelloReader! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (574 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **574** | — |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 206 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) | [Dong Liang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810380860) |

## 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


### HelloReader!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helloreader/id6745104692)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ringotan free?

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

### Is HelloReader! free?

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

### Do Ringotan or HelloReader! have ads?

Neither Ringotan nor HelloReader! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ringotan or HelloReader!?

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, and HelloReader! every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ringotan was updated on October 24, 2026 and HelloReader! on October 28, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*