JEDict vs Kanji Study
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
JEDict
This app helps users learn Japanese kanji and words through various search methods, including readings, English translations, and graphemes. It features handwritten recognition, OCR, stroke order animations, and JLPT lists for comprehensive study.
- Kanji and word search
- Handwritten kanji recognition
- Kanji search by graphemes
- Japanese OCR
- Kanji stroke order animation
- JLPT lists
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JEDict is Japanese kanji and word searching application. It uses the dictionaries from Monash University FTP Archive. The following features are supported: • Kanji and word search by Japanese reading or English translation • Handwritten kanji recognition of all 6355 kanji • Kanji search by graphemes • Japanese optical character recognition • Word by word translation • Japanese kanji stroke order with kanji vector graphics • JLPT lists
Kanji Study
Master Japanese kanji through vocabulary words rather than rote memorization. Features include writing lessons with stroke detection, spaced repetition reviews, and full JLPT level coverage. Learn readings naturally, one word at a time, with audio pronunciation and offline access.
- Vocabulary-first kanji learning
- Writing lessons with stroke detection
- Spaced repetition reviews
- JLPT N5-N1 coverage
- Audio pronunciation
- Offline functionality
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Most kanji apps show you a character and its readings and expect you to memorize them cold. Kanji Study takes a different approach: you learn kanji through the vocabulary words they appear in. By studying real JLPT words, over 5,000 of them across N5 to N1, you absorb kanji readings naturally, one word at a time, the way they actually appear in Japanese. What makes it different: Vocabulary-first learning: master readings through words, not rote memorization Writing lessons with stroke detection: learn correct stroke order and get instant feedback Spaced repetition reviews: English → Japanese and Japanese → English, including writing quizzes Full JLPT coverage: structured levels from N5 through N1 Audio pronunciation: hear every word read aloud Works offline: no internet connection required Ideal for JLPT test prep, Japanese language students, or anyone preparing to live or work in Japan.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Kanji Study at 4.7 against JEDict's 3.7. Kanji Study also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 3). JEDict's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. JEDict sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Kanji Study sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Kanji Study holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kanji Study has 7.3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of JEDict's written reviews are positive against 67% of Kanji Study's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
JEDict ships an update every 3 months, Kanji Study every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | JEDict | Kanji Study |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (3 ratings) | 4.7 (7.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews — better | 67.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 7.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 140 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sergey Kurkin | Luli Languages LLC |
Customer experience
JEDict
Kanji Study
Bugs and requests
JEDict
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Kanji Study
Reported bugs
3 issues- Certain kanji not recognized correctly
- App crashing or freezing, especially during long review sessions
- Progress not syncing across devices
Requested features
4 requests- Option to customize review sessions (select specific kanji, JLPT levels, etc.)
- Add both on and kun readings for kanji
- Implement sentence practice and vocabulary exercises
- Add support for more languages (e.g. Russian)
In-app purchases
JEDict
- JEDict Pro$19.99
- OSX Basic$23.99
Kanji Study
- Level 1$9.99
- Level 2$12.99
- Level 3$14.99
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- Level 4$14.99
- Level 5$14.99
- All Levels3 variants$29.99









