# Kakehashi vs Shape Language

The clearest difference is monetization model: Kakehashi at free against Shape Language's free with in-app purchases. Kakehashi also leads on ratings volume (91 vs 5) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kakehashi sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Shape Language sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 — 5.0 for Kakehashi against 5.0 for Shape Language. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kakehashi has 91 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kakehashi | Shape Language |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kakehashi-for-wanikani/id6757765444/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-language/id6782466116/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **91** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 213 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pedro Ortego](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773012596) | [Voyager Space Systems, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493916908) |

## What reviewers say

### Kakehashi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kakehashi-for-wanikani/id6757765444)

This app helps you apply your WaniKani Japanese learning to real-world content like anime, news, and song lyrics. It offers various study modes, progress tracking, and offline capabilities to enhance your fluency beyond flashcards.

**Highlights:** Learn from anime dialogue, NHK news, and song lyrics, Customizable study sessions, Progress tracking for JLPT and Joyo levels, Offline caching for study anywhere, Camera OCR for instant text learning, MyAnimeList sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Buy me a beer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy me lunch | $9.99 | one-time |
| Generous tip | $19.99 | one-time |


### Shape Language

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-language/id6782466116)

This app helps you learn any language through translation. It breaks down translations to aid understanding, catalogs new vocabulary, and offers various learning modes like roleplay and chat. It also allows you to translate any language into your own.

**Highlights:** Learn languages by translation, Understand translation breakdowns, Catalog new words and phrases, Quiz on learned vocabulary, Proofread text, Roleplay conversations, Quick translation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic | $3.99 | per month |
| Advanced | $6.99 | per month |
| Usage Limit Top Up | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kakehashi free?

Kakehashi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shape Language free?

Shape Language is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Kakehashi or Shape Language?

Shape Language is rated higher. Kakehashi averages 5.0 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while Shape Language averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Kakehashi or Shape Language have ads?

Neither Kakehashi nor Shape Language shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kakehashi or Shape Language?

Kakehashi ships an update every 2 weeks, and Shape Language every 2 weeks. Most recently, Kakehashi was updated on November 9, 2026 and Shape Language on November 10, 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.*