Comparison

Remembering the Kanji vs SEC DigiLib

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

Head to head
About

Remembering the Kanji

This app provides flashcards and review tools for learning Japanese kanji using the Heisig method. It offers customizable study lists, mnemonic story saving, stroke order animations, and drawing practice. Learn kanji readings and jukugo, and review lessons from the companion books.

Highlights
  • Flashcards and review slides
  • Customizable study lists
  • Mnemonic story saving
  • Animated stroke order diagrams
  • On-screen drawing practice
  • Learn kanji readings and jukugo
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

"Remembering the Kanji" (Official flashcard and review app for the Heisig method) is a kanji learning App to complement the bestselling kanji books “Remembering the Kanji” (Volumes I, II & III), by Dr. James W. Heisig. * Now updated for Edition 6 of Volume I. For over 40 years, users have benefited from the highly effective Heisig Method for learning Japanese kanji. With this sole official “Remembering the Kanji” app, you now have review slides and flashcards for over 3,000 kanji available on your mobile device! This App is available only on the App Store! Reviews for the Heisig Method: ***** “Fastest way to learn all 2000” — L.S. (Texas) ***** “A great gem in kanji learning” — Z.N. ***** “Fantastic for achieving literacy” — S.C. (Michigan) ***** “It's actually fun! And ‘fun’ matters!” — F.T. ***** “I'd recommend this for serious learners of Japanese” — E.H. (Illinois) What is special about this App? - It is portable, allowing for review anywhere, anytime, without the need for an internet connection. - It is the first and only authorized "Remembering the Kanji" App. - It is customizable to your needs and preferences. - It has an easy-to-use interface. - It is reasonably priced. What this great App can help you with: - Creating your own study lists and generating flashcards for you to review what you have learned — You’ll love the flashcards function! - Saving notes for your own imaginative mnemonic stories for each kanji in "Remembering the Kanji" Volume I. Whenever you need to jog your memory to recall the story behind a kanji — refer to the App! - Learning the stroke order of each and every kanji with fantastic animated diagrams! - Practicing drawing each kanji with your finger on screen, and comparing your result with a written form of the kanji. - Learning the readings (pronunciations) of each and every kanji in "Remembering the Kanji". Also, learn the readings of kanji combination words (jukugo). - Reviewing each lesson for Volumes I, II & III of the "Remembering the Kanji" books with easy-to-use review slides. - Looking up the meaning of primitive elements quickly. - Looking up kanji by stroke number. - Searching for key words and finding the kanji you want in an instant. Take your kanji knowledge to the next level with this convenient and easy-to-use App! Copyright Notice: Kanji data is Copyright © 2013 James W. Heisig KanjiVG data is Copyright © 2013 Ulrich Apel

About

SEC DigiLib

Read full description

SEC DigiLib (Digital Library) makes thousands of content available to its collaborators in different formats (ebooks, audiobooks, podcasts, videos, courses, magazines, etc.), themes and languages so that you can personalize your learning experience, depending on your tastes and preferences.

Screenshots

Remembering the Kanji3 screens
SEC DigiLib3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SEC DigiLib at Free against Remembering the Kanji's $10.99. SEC DigiLib also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, 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

SEC DigiLib is free to download; Remembering the Kanji costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Remembering the Kanji ships an update every 2 months, SEC DigiLib every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Remembering the Kanji versus SEC DigiLib: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRemembering the KanjiSEC DigiLib
Price$10.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMirai AppsOdilo

Bugs and requests

Remembering the Kanji

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Study lists and stories deleted after updates
  • Backup crashes on iOS devices
  • App crashes when adding multiple kanji to study list
  • Flashcard progress not saving
  • Import function crashes with CSV files
Show 7 more
  • Stroke order differs from book for some kanji
  • App crashes on older devices (iPhone 3G, iPad 2)
  • Flashcard settings reset when switching modes
  • Lessons skip kanji from book
  • Notes not displaying on flashcards
  • Study list progress not resuming after pause
  • Occasional crashes during flashcard function

Requested features

16 requests
  • Include Heisig stories from the book
  • Add spaced repetition system (SRS/Anki-style)
  • Landscape/split-screen support for iPad
  • Search default to alphabetical letters
  • Expand story/notes display area
Show 11 more
  • Clickable primitive elements linking to related kanji
  • Progress tracking and resume functionality
  • Audio pronunciation support
  • Kanji compound meaning translations on flashcards
  • Highlight/bold/italicize text in story area
  • Drawing practice integrated into flashcard review
  • Sync progress across devices
  • RTK 3 support
  • Visual progress indicators and motivation features
  • Backup to cloud storage
  • Timed repetition system

SEC DigiLib

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Remembering the Kanji

No in-app purchases

None

SEC DigiLib

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Remembering the Kanji free?
Remembering the Kanji costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SEC DigiLib free?
SEC DigiLib is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Remembering the Kanji or SEC DigiLib have ads?
Neither Remembering the Kanji nor SEC DigiLib shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Remembering the Kanji or SEC DigiLib?
Remembering the Kanji ships an update every 2 months, and SEC DigiLib every 2 weeks. Most recently, Remembering the Kanji was updated on November 1, 2026 and SEC DigiLib on October 24, 2026.

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