# Ringotan vs Radical

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ringotan at none against Radical's 1. Ringotan also leads on ratings volume (574 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Radical sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Radical. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ringotan has 574 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Ringotan's written reviews are positive against 100% of Radical's.

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, Radical every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ringotan | Radical |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (574 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radical-kanji-dictionary/id6760137001/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **574** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 206 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) | [Carlos Ramos Fuentes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882838707) |

## 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


### Radical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/radical-kanji-dictionary/id6760137001)

This app teaches the underlying structure of kanji by explaining phonetic radicals, which predict pronunciation when kanji are combined. It offers a comprehensive dictionary, vocabulary lists with mastery tracking, and structured courses to help learners understand, not just memorize, Japanese characters.

**Highlights:** Phonetic and meaning radical explanations, Full English-Japanese dictionary, Vocabulary list with mastery tracking, Kanji lists organized by radicals, Structured learning courses, Progress tracking and study stats

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| JLPT N5 Kanji Course | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ringotan free?

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

### Is Radical free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ringotan or Radical?

Radical is rated higher. Ringotan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 574 ratings, while Radical averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ringotan or Radical have ads?

Neither Ringotan nor Radical shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ringotan or Radical?

Ringotan ships an update every 3 days, and Radical every 11 days. Most recently, Ringotan was updated on October 24, 2026 and Radical on October 31, 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.*