# KanjiBox vs Immersion Reader

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.

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.

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.

KanjiBox ships an update weekly, Immersion Reader every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | KanjiBox | Immersion Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanjibox/id322311303/reviews)** | [4.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | **92.8% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 361 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Unknown Genius Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/322311306) | [Mathew Chan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441199099) |

## 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


### Immersion Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/immersion-reader/id6443721334)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Immersion Reader Premium | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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 17, 2026 and Immersion Reader on October 1, 2026.

---

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