# KanjiBox vs Ringotan

The clearest difference is price: Ringotan at Free against KanjiBox's $4.99. Ringotan also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Ringotan is free to download; KanjiBox costs $4.99 up front. KanjiBox sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Ringotan asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ringotan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 138 and 567 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of KanjiBox's written reviews are positive against 96% of Ringotan's.

KanjiBox ships an update weekly, Ringotan every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | KanjiBox | Ringotan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanjibox/id322311303/reviews) | **[4.9 (567 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringotan/id1633001064/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 138 | **567** |
| Positive reviews | 92.8% of reviews | **95.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 361 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Unknown Genius Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/322311306) | [Daniel Pflughoeft](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633001066) |

## What reviewers say

### KanjiBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanjibox/id322311303)

Master Japanese language skills offline with interactive drills, quizzes, and flashcards. Track progress with detailed stats and game-like achievements. Includes handwriting practice and preparation for standardized tests.

**Highlights:** Offline Japanese study, Drills, quizzes, and flashcards, Handwriting practice modules, Progress tracking and achievements, JLPT and Kanji Kentei preparation, Adaptive learning with SRS, Customizable study sets

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KanjiDraw | $0.99 | one-time |
| KanaDraw | $0.99 | one-time |
| Grammar - Beginner I: Particles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Grammar - Intermediate I | $0.99 | one-time |
| Grammar - Beginner II: Where? When? | $0.99 | one-time |
| Grammar - Beginner III: 後, 前, 上, 下... | $0.99 | one-time |
| Advanced I: ところ＋に,で,へ,を... | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vocab N5 Nouns (pt. 1) | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive kanji and vocabulary practice
- 🚀 Efficient spaced repetition learning
- 💡 Customizable study settings
- 🚀 Syncs progress across devices
- 👍 Integrates with dictionary app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 👎 Limited grammar practice
- 👎 Sensitive kanji writing recognition
- 👎 Repetitive kanji/vocabulary selection

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when launching at higher JLPT levels
- Syncing issues between mobile and web versions
- Incorrect kanji/vocabulary definitions in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add more grammar and sentence-level practice
- Improve kanji writing recognition accuracy
- Allow searching for specific kanji or vocabulary
- Provide more detailed review of missed questions


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is KanjiBox free?

KanjiBox costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Ringotan free?

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

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

Ringotan is rated higher. KanjiBox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Ringotan averages 4.9 from 567 ratings.

### Do KanjiBox or Ringotan have ads?

Neither KanjiBox nor Ringotan shows ads.

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

KanjiBox ships an update weekly, and Ringotan every 3 days. Most recently, KanjiBox was updated on October 17, 2026 and Ringotan on October 9, 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.*