# JiShop Advanced vs The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide at none against JiShop Advanced's 1. The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide also leads on price ($9.99 vs $16.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). JiShop Advanced's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 24 months). On ratings volume, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

JiShop Advanced costs $16.99 and The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide $9.99 up front. JiShop Advanced sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

JiShop Advanced holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of JiShop Advanced's written reviews are positive against 67% of The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide's.

JiShop Advanced ships an update every 2 weeks, The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide every 24 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | JiShop Advanced | The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $16.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jishop-advanced/id353066777/reviews)** | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-kodansha-kanji-usage-guide/id1069262969/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 15 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JISHOP Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/353066780) | [CJKI](https://appshunter.io/developer/344405633) |

## What reviewers say

### JiShop Advanced

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jishop-advanced/id353066777)

This app serves as a comprehensive Japanese language reference tool. It offers extensive kanji and word dictionaries with advanced search capabilities, interactive learning features, and detailed information for both beginners and professionals.

**Highlights:** Extensive kanji and word dictionaries, Advanced element-based kanji search, Compound word search by kanji, reading, or meaning, Interactive kanji decomposition and stroke order diagrams, Customizable study groups and favorites, Internal hyperlinks for cross-referencing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License Transfer | $6.99 | one-time |


### The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-kodansha-kanji-usage-guide/id1069262969)

This reference app helps intermediate Japanese learners understand and differentiate between kun homophones, words with the same kun reading but different kanji and meanings. It provides detailed usage articles, examples, and indexes for over 1,600 kanji.

**Highlights:** Detailed usage articles for kun homophones, Thousands of compound words and examples, Indexes for On-Kun reading and English meaning, Offline access, History and bookmarks, Jump to related dictionary app

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JiShop Advanced free?

JiShop Advanced costs $16.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide free?

The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, JiShop Advanced or The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide?

JiShop Advanced is rated higher. JiShop Advanced averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do JiShop Advanced or The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide have ads?

Neither JiShop Advanced nor The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, JiShop Advanced or The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide?

JiShop Advanced ships an update every 2 weeks, and The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide every 24 months. Most recently, JiShop Advanced was updated on November 6, 2026 and The Kodansha Kanji Usage Guide on November 6, 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.*