Comparison

KanjiBox vs Immersion Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

KanjiBox

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
Read full description

KanjiBox is a focused Japanese kanji and vocabulary trainer for learners at every level, from first-time beginners to advanced JLPT N1 candidates. • Simple yet effective algorithm Spaced Repetition System and smart Multiple Choice algorithm, combined to optimize your learning and track your progress • Multiple Modes to keep you motivated From Flashcards, to Drill training, to Gamified Quiz • No AI Slop KanjiBox was first released 19 years ago, and has helped hundreds of thousands achieve written Japanese mastery ever since. It does not, and will never, rely on half-baked LLM-driven content — — — — — — — — — — — — — KANJIBOX IS SMART — — — — — — — — — — — — — KanjiBox adapts to your performance by prioritizing items you struggle with, and reducing repetition of material you already know. As you progress, it will introduce new kanji and vocabulary, but always while following your pace. Spend more time on what needs work, and less time reviewing what you have already mastered. — — — — — — — — — — — — — KANJIBOX IS A MEAN TEACHER — — — — — — — — — — — — — Behind the deceptively simple Multiple Choice Question format, is a well-oiled algorithm designed to trip you up: similar-looking kanji, subtle pronunciation differences, closely-related grammatical words… Because the goal is to learn the language, not how to beat the test. — — — — — — — — — — — — — KANJIBOX IS ENGAGING — — — — — — — — — — — — — Exhaustive stats across levels and categories show you what you have mastered, what needs more practice, and how your results improve over time. Quiz mode adds a fun competitive element to your studying. Because serious should not mean tedious! — — — — — — — — — FEATURES — — — — — — — — — • Full JLPT N5–N1 kanji and vocabulary coverage • Sensei mode with 6,355 kanji, ~40,000 vocab words • Beginner mode with hiragana and katakana • Works fully offline • Custom Study Sets • Sync all learning stats and progress across devices • Add-ons to practice handwriting kana and kanji • Add-ons to practice specific grammar points Whether you are preparing for the JLPT, studying Japanese at school, or building your reading ability for everyday use, KanjiBox gives you a clear and practical way to improve. 始めましょう!Let's get started!

About

Immersion Reader

Easily look up Japanese words while reading ebooks with a single tap. Import custom dictionaries and export saved vocabulary for spaced repetition learning. Offers customizable themes for a comfortable reading experience.

Highlights
  • One-tap word lookup in Japanese ebooks
  • Import Yomichan and frequency dictionaries
  • Export vocabulary to Anki
  • Light and dark mode themes
  • Lookup neighboring words
Features
Read full description

Look up Japanese words as you read! Features - One tap to look up words in Japanese Ebooks. Tabs to help you look up neighboring words - Import Yomichan dictionaries and frequency dictionaries - Export saved vocabulary to Anki via Anki Dojo - Light mode, dark mode, and other themes for the dictionary

Screenshots

KanjiBox4 screens
Immersion Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Immersion Reader at Free against KanjiBox's $4.99. Immersion Reader also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). KanjiBox's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (93% vs 62%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Immersion Reader is free to download; KanjiBox costs $4.99 up front. KanjiBox sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Immersion Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

KanjiBox holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KanjiBox has 138 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of KanjiBox's written reviews are positive against 62% of Immersion Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KanjiBox ships an update weekly, Immersion Reader every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
KanjiBox versus Immersion Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKanjiBoxImmersion Reader
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (138 ratings) — better4.0 (26 ratings)
Positive reviews92.8% of reviews — better61.5% of reviews
Number of ratings138 — better26
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size361 MB80 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperUnknown Genius SoftwareMathew Chan

Customer experience

KanjiBox

All ratings138 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews264 reviews
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.4%

Immersion Reader

All ratings26 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral3.8%
Negative19.2%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative30.8%

Bugs and requests

KanjiBox

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

Immersion Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

KanjiBox

One-time8
  • KanjiDraw$0.99
  • KanaDraw$0.99
  • Grammar - Beginner I: Particles$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Grammar - Intermediate I$0.99
  • Grammar - Beginner II: Where? When?$0.99
  • Grammar - Beginner III: 後, 前, 上, 下...$0.99
  • Advanced I: ところ+に,で,へ,を...$0.99
  • Vocab N5 Nouns (pt. 1)$0.99
1 purchases

Immersion Reader

One-time1
  • Immersion Reader Premium$4.99

Questions

Is KanjiBox free?
KanjiBox costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Immersion Reader free?
Immersion Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, KanjiBox or Immersion Reader?
KanjiBox is rated higher. KanjiBox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Immersion Reader averages 4.0 from 26 ratings.
Do KanjiBox or Immersion Reader have ads?
Neither KanjiBox nor Immersion Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KanjiBox or Immersion Reader?
KanjiBox ships an update weekly, and Immersion Reader every 6 days. Most recently, KanjiBox was updated on October 15, 2026 and Immersion Reader on October 1, 2026.

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