Comparison

iKnow! vs Bunpo

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

Head to head
About

iKnow!

Master Japanese, Chinese, and English with this app's adaptive learning engine. It offers multiple study modes and synchronizes your progress across devices for flexible learning. Ideal for anyone looking to efficiently acquire new vocabulary and sentence structures.

Highlights
  • Adaptive learning engine
  • Spaced rehearsal pattern
  • Five study modes
  • Vocabulary and sentence mastery
  • Progress synchronization
  • Audio playback with speed control
Features
Read full description

Enjoy the iKnow! experience on your phone or tablet! All your iKnow! study progress is automatically synched across devices, so you can study in the way that best matches your needs and lifestyle. “Japanese, Chinese, and English” Official courses are offered for studying Japanese, Chinese, and SAT English. The Japanese courses cover the 6,000 most commonly used words in Japanese. The Chinese courses cover the 2,000 most commonly used words in spoken Chinese and over 1,200 words commonly used in newspapers and magazines. (All Chinese courses are available in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese.) All words have sample sentences and audio. “The iKnow! Learning Engine” iKnow! presents items in a spaced rehearsal pattern optimized for efficient learning. iKnow! adapts to differences in learning speeds and item difficulty, constantly measuring memory and predicting performance across all of your items. iKnow! does this by tracking your performance and then predicting your optimal review time on an item-by-item basis. All you have to do is push the study button, and iKnow! tells you what to learn. ************** Features: - Five study modes: iKnow!, Rapid Choice, Self Check, Sentence Trainer, and Listening. - iKnow!: Master words and phrases with our patented learning algorithms. - Rapid Choice: Fast-paced quizzing and review. - Self Check: Judge yourself on what you know and how well. - Sentence Trainer: Master sentence patterns by listening and then dictating. - Listening: Listen to content on the go. You can slow down and loop any audio. - Study progress synched across supported devices.

About

Bunpo

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

Highlights
  • Learn 6 languages
  • Master grammar with detailed explanations
  • Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge
  • Spaced repetition for smart review
  • Interactive quizzes and example sentences
  • Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese
Features
Read full description

Learn languages with Bunpo! Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, English and more! Master speaking, grammar, and vocabulary from beginner to advanced, trusted by over 5 million learners worldwide. From your first Hiragana あ to JLPT N1, from "annyeong" to a real Korean conversation, or any of our 8+ languages, Bunpo takes you from day one to fluency. ========= Why Bunpo works for language learning - Speak from day one: Start speaking from your very first lesson with advanced speech recognition technology. - 8+ languages, one app: Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, and English, and switch between them anytime without juggling multiple apps. - Grammar that makes sense: Detailed explanations in plain English, plus exercises that make it stick. - Smart review: A personalized study plan powered by spaced repetition (SRS) so you remember more, faster. - From the alphabet to advanced: Start with your very first character and build all the way to advanced grammar, whatever language you choose. Whether you're learning for travel, a higher grade, JLPT, a career boost, or just to feel confident in a new conversation, Bunpo's got your back. ========= Japanese Course - Master the Japanese alphabets (Hiragana & Katakana) so you can read menus, train signs, and even your favorite manga without guessing. - Learn Japanese grammar for every JLPT level (N5 to N1) with clear, no-nonsense explanations because "This is a pen" will only get you so far. - Build real-world Japanese vocabulary and kanji knowledge you can actually use in daily conversations, not just in textbooks. - Practice with 1,800+ Japanese example sentences and 8,000+ interactive quizzes designed to make new grammar and vocab stick. - Search any topic instantly in the Japanese grammar dictionary, perfect for "What does that mean again?" moments. - Review smarter, not harder, with a spaced repetition system (SRS) that reminds you before you forget. ========= Korean Course - Master the Korean alphabet (Hangul) with a guided chart, listening, and writing practice. - Build Korean vocabulary you'll actually use in everyday conversations. - Practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking so every skill grows together. ========= Spanish Course - Learn Spanish offline - Master Spanish grammar from A1 to B1 level - Spanish verb conjugation - Perfect your Spanish pronunciation ========= French Course - Learn French offline - Master French grammar from A1 to A2 level - French verb conjugation - Perfect your French pronunciation ========= German Course - Learn German offline - Master German grammar from A1 to C1 level - German verb conjugation - Perfect your German pronunciation ========= Chinese Course - Learn Chinese offline - Master Chinese vocabulary and phrases - Listen, speak, and write Chinese ========= Subscription pricing and terms Bunpo offers an auto-renewing monthly subscription and an auto-renewing yearly subscription to provide you with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses while you maintain an active subscription. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Bunpo also offers a Forever subscription, which is paid for by a one-off upfront payment with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses forever. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://bunpo.app/privacy.html Any feedback? Feel free to contact us at: iphone@bunpo.app

Screenshots

iKnow!4 screens
Bunpo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bunpo at every 9 days against iKnow!'s every 5 weeks. Bunpo also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 490). iKnow!'s advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. iKnow! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for iKnow! against 4.9 for Bunpo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bunpo has 18K ratings behind it against 490, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of iKnow!'s written reviews are positive against 73% of Bunpo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iKnow! ships an update every 5 weeks, Bunpo every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
iKnow! versus Bunpo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriKnow!Bunpo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (490 ratings)4.9 (18K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.9% of reviews — better72.5% of reviews
Number of ratings49018K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB189 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDMM.com LLCBunpo Language Learning

Customer experience

iKnow!

All ratings490 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews163 reviews
Positive77.9%
Neutral7.4%
Negative14.7%

Bunpo

All ratings18,012 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews1,129 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative18.2%

User reviews

iKnow!

From 490 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent for vocabulary learning
  • 👍 Great for learning Japanese and Chinese
  • 👍 Effective spaced repetition system
  • 👍 Useful example sentences and audio
  • 👍 Convenient for studying on the go

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Stability issues with recent updates
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes reported
  • 🐛 Audio playback problems
  • 🔒 Subscription-based model
  • 👎 Limited customization options

Bunpo

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helpful for learning Japanese
  • 👍 Well-designed and organized
  • 👍 Explains grammar and usage well
  • 👍 Customizable to learning needs
  • 👍 Effective spaced repetition

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Too much content locked behind paywall
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported
  • 🐛 Issues with keyboard and text display
  • 🐛 Inconsistencies in question answers
  • 🔒 Lack of offline access to paid content

Bugs and requests

iKnow!

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Blank screens during multiple-choice questions
  • Issues with typing answers and registering input
  • Audio not playing for some example sentences

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add more languages beyond Japanese and Chinese
  • Improve community course integration
  • Implement a dark mode
  • Add more example sentences per word
  • Provide an option to learn without kanji
Show 2 more
  • Implement a notification system for review reminders
  • Add grammar drills and kanji writing practice

Bunpo

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes during lesson reviews
  • Incorrect answers marked as wrong
  • Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
  • Audio playback problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add landscape mode support for tablets
  • Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
  • Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
  • Add more languages beyond Japanese

In-app purchases

10 purchases

iKnow!

One-time10
  • 3 Month Plan$23.99
  • 12 Month Plan$39.99
  • 12+1 Month Plan$39.99
Show 7 more
  • 6 Month Plan$47.99
  • 6+1 Month Plan$47.99
  • 12+3 Month Plan$54.99
  • 12 Month Plan$59.99
  • 12 Month Plan$64.99
  • 12+1 Month Plan$64.99
  • 12 Month Plan$69.99
9 purchases

Bunpo

Subscriptions7
  • Bunpo Plus Monthly2 variants$9.991 Month
  • Bunpo Platinum Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Bunpo Platinum Monthly$19.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Bunpo Plus Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Bunpo Plus Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Bunpo Platinum Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Bunpo Platinum Yearly$79.991 Year
One-time2
  • Bunpo Plus Lifetime$39.99
  • Bunpo Plus Lifetime$44.99

Questions

Is iKnow! free?
iKnow! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bunpo free?
Bunpo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iKnow! or Bunpo?
Bunpo is rated higher. iKnow! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 490 ratings, while Bunpo averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.
Do iKnow! or Bunpo have ads?
Neither iKnow! nor Bunpo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iKnow! or Bunpo?
iKnow! ships an update every 5 weeks, and Bunpo every 9 days. Most recently, iKnow! was updated on September 21, 2026 and Bunpo on September 24, 2026.

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