Ringotan vs Dokkai
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!
Dokkai
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Turn any Japanese text into your personal study material. Built by an indie developer with a passion for Japanese language and media — this is the app I wished I had when learning Japanese myself. SCAN ANYTHING Point your camera at books, manga, signs, menus, or subtitles. Dokkai instantly extracts the text using advanced OCR. NATURAL TRANSLATIONS AI-powered translations that sound natural, not robotic. Get the meaning, not just word-for-word conversion. LEARN AS YOU READ Every scan becomes a lesson: - Furigana readings above kanji - Vocabulary breakdowns with definitions - Grammar explanations - Save words to flashcards BRING YOUR OWN MATERIALS Study what YOU want to read — not textbook examples. Real Japanese content at your level. LIBRARY Read real Japanese — the way it was actually written. Dokkai's Library is a curated collection of authentic Japanese content designed for learners. Short stories, diary entries, and dialogues written by real people, covering everyday life, culture, and the kind of Japanese you'll actually encounter outside a textbook. Every piece in the Library comes fully equipped with the tools you need to understand it deeply: Hard mode — read the raw Japanese and analyze any word you don't know with a single tap Cheat mode — toggle furigana, read alongside the English translation, or challenge yourself with English-only and reveal the Japanese when you're ready Study mode — break down every sentence with furigana, grammar patterns, and color-coded vocabulary cards Content is organized by difficulty level (N5–N1) and format, so you can find something that matches exactly where you are right now. Series let you follow a story across multiple chapters, tracking your progress as you go. New content added regularly. iCLOUD SYNC Your scans, vocabulary, and progress sync across all your devices. SUBSCRIPTION Dokkai Premium unlocks all features with a 3-day free trial. Choose weekly, monthly, or yearly billing. FEEDBACK Have a bug or feature request? I'd love to hear from you: https://forms.gle/SZemfm9mm1SzMLKA6 Terms: https://mochipixel.io/dokkai/terms.html Privacy: https://mochipixel.io/dokkai/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ringotan at none against Dokkai's 3. Ringotan also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. Dokkai sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Ringotan asks for nothing beyond the download.
Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, Dokkai weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ringotan | Dokkai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (567 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 567 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 206 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Daniel Pflughoeft | MochiPixel LLC |
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
Dokkai
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ringotan
No in-app purchases
Dokkai
- Dokkai Pro$2.997 Days
- Dokkai Pro3 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Dokkai Pro3 Days trial$49.991 Year









