iKnow! vs Satori Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Adaptive learning engine
- Spaced rehearsal pattern
- Five study modes
- Vocabulary and sentence mastery
- Progress synchronization
- Audio playback with speed control
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
iKnow! and Satori Reader both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Satori Reader's written reviews are positive against 79% of iKnow!'s. iKnow!'s advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. iKnow! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Satori Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for iKnow! against 4.8 for Satori Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 490 and 215 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of iKnow!'s written reviews are positive against 90% of Satori Reader's.
iKnow! ships an update every 5 weeks, Satori Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iKnow! | Satori Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (490 ratings) | 4.8 (215 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews | 90.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 490 — better | 215 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | DMM.com LLC | Brak Software, Inc. |
Customer experience
iKnow!
Satori Reader
User reviews
iKnow!
From 490 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Satori Reader
From 215 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent for improving reading and listening skills
- 👍 Detailed grammar and vocabulary explanations
- 🎨 Customizable display settings for kanji/furigana
- 💡 Integrated spaced repetition flashcard system
- 🎧 High-quality voice acting and audio
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or sync issues
- 🕰️ Lack of speed control for audio playback
- 💰 Subscription-based model can be expensive
- 🔍 Limited search/navigation functionality
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 moreShow fewer
- Implement a notification system for review reminders
- Add grammar drills and kanji writing practice
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
iKnow!
- 3 Month Plan$23.99
- 12 Month Plan$39.99
- 12+1 Month Plan$39.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- 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
Satori Reader
- 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







