Comparison

Hard reading kanji vs Satori Reader

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

Head to head
About

Hard reading kanji

This app helps users reference and learn difficult Japanese kanji and phrases. It categorizes them into various groups and allows searching by kanji or kana. A paid version offers more advanced learning functions.

Highlights
  • Reference 1468 difficult kanji/phrases
  • Kanji grouped by category
  • Search by kanji or kana
  • Supports Japanese, English, and Chinese UI
Features
Read full description

This is an application that help you reference the kanji in Japanese which are also difficult to read and remember to native Japanese people. If you want master these kanji as soon as possible, please buy the application (Master hard reading kanji) which has more functions to help you to remember them. please search 'AOBO' in App store, then you can find it. Features: 1, There are 1468 difficult kanji/phrases that can be referenced in this application. 2, The difficult kanji or phrases are grouped as following: 1) Common 2) Laws and regulations 3) Nature and People 4) Articles 5) Plants 6) Mammal, Reptiles and Amphibians 7) Fishes 8) Birds 9) Invertebrate animals 10) Borrowed words 11) Country names 12) Foreign place names 13) Foreign people names 3, Can be searched by kanji or kana in the searching screen. Language: Japanese, English(UI only), Chinese(UI only)

About

Satori Reader

Enhance your Japanese reading and listening skills with engaging stories written by native speakers. Features adaptive kanji, smart definitions, and spaced repetition to build vocabulary. Get clarity with friendly annotations and human feedback.

Highlights
  • Compelling stories by native speakers
  • Audio narration by voice actors
  • Adaptive kanji presentation
  • Smart word definitions
  • Friendly annotations
  • Spaced repetition vocabulary review
  • Human feedback and support
Features
Read full description

Ready to take your Japanese reading and listening comprehension to the next level? Welcome to Satori Reader. COMPELLING STORIES Read from a growing library of engrossing stories written by native speakers for intermediate students, across genres such as fantasy, slice-of-life, thrillers, documentaries, news, and more. AUDIO Tap any sentence to hear it read aloud by native voice actors (no robots!). ADAPTIVE KANJI USAGE Crack the chicken-and-egg problem of reading kanji with our unique presentation engine, which adjusts the Japanese text to accommodate your actual knowledge. This allows you to challenge yourself for the kanji you should know without being overwhelmed by what you don't. SMART DEFINITIONS Tap any word for a definition. This is more than just an automated lookup. Satori Reader shows the actual sense of each word as it's being used in the sentence. For example, the particle の has many uses: it can indicate possession; it can turn the preceding verb or phrase into a noun; it can stand in for another word; and more. We show you exactly what is happening in every instance of every word. FRIENDLY ANNOTATIONS Gray underlines indicate longer annotations that break down tricky expressions, provide cultural background, or help you to read between the lines. Our editors work hard to anticipate what might be confusing and proactively help you to make sense of things. Good-bye, confusion. Hello, clarity! SPACED REPETITION SYSTEM (SRS) The built-in spaced repetition review system helps you to build your vocabulary. Create review cards instantly as you read. Each card you create takes along a snapshot of the sentence in which you encountered the word, further helping to cement it in your memory. You can even play back the audio of that sentence while reviewing the word! HUMAN FEEDBACK Still confused about something? Just ask in the discussion section below each episode. Our team of friendly human beings is ready to help. Satori Reader is built by a team that cares. Our goal is to bring satori (enlightenment) into your Japanese reading life. Set up a free account today, and let's get started. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ▪ OPTIONS: Download the app for free and enjoy unlimited access to the first two episodes of each series (new series released regularly), plus complete access to special series such as Closeup: Obon Society. Subscribed for unlimited access to the entire Satori Reader library of more than 1200 episodes (new episodes released each week), including crystal-clear audio, helpful annotations, and real human feedback. Try your first month FREE (limit one per customer; cannot be used in combination with other introductory offers; offers subject to change). ▪ EXTRAS: Your subscription to Satori Reader comes with complimentary web access, as well as access to Satori Reader on all your smartphones and tablets. ▪ PRIVACY POLICY: https://www.satorireader.com/privacy ▪ TERMS OF SERVICE: https://www.satorireader.com/terms ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ▪ Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase (following any trial period). ▪ Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. ▪ Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. ▪ Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. ▪ Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. ▪ Cancel your subscription at any time. If you cancel, you will retain full access to Satori Reader for the period you paid for and you will not be billed again. If you have any questions, write to support@satorireader.com for speedy assistance. Thank you for your business!

Screenshots

Hard reading kanji2 screens
Satori Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Satori Reader at 90% against Hard reading kanji's 17%. Satori Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (218 vs 1). Hard reading kanji's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Satori Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Hard reading kanji asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hard reading kanji holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Satori Reader has 218 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of Hard reading kanji's written reviews are positive against 90% of Satori Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hard reading kanji ships an update every 11 months, Satori Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Hard reading kanji versus Satori Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHard reading kanjiSatori Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.8 (218 ratings)
Positive reviews16.7% of reviews90.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1218 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB79 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperAOBO Co.,LtdBrak Software, Inc.

Customer experience

Hard reading kanji

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative75.0%

Satori Reader

All ratings218 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative7.5%

Bugs and requests

Hard reading kanji

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Satori Reader

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login issues and account creation problems
  • Syncing and loading delays on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to loop audio playback
  • Kanji lookup/learning tools integration
  • More advanced/diverse content selection

In-app purchases

None

Hard reading kanji

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Satori Reader

Subscriptions3
  • Satori Reader Monthly1 Month trial4 variants$8.991 Month
  • Satori Reader Annual1 Month trial$89.991 Year
  • Satori Reader Annual1 Year trial3 variants$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Hard reading kanji free?
Hard reading kanji is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Satori Reader free?
Satori Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hard reading kanji or Satori Reader?
Hard reading kanji is rated higher. Hard reading kanji averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Satori Reader averages 4.8 from 218 ratings.
Do Hard reading kanji or Satori Reader have ads?
Hard reading kanji shows ads; Satori Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, Hard reading kanji or Satori Reader?
Hard reading kanji ships an update every 11 months, and Satori Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Hard reading kanji was updated on October 15, 2026 and Satori Reader on October 18, 2026.

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