# Understudy vs SoftMotionHanko

The clearest difference is update cadence: SoftMotionHanko at weekly against Understudy's monthly. Understudy's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Understudy sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SoftMotionHanko sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Understudy ships an update monthly, SoftMotionHanko weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Understudy | SoftMotionHanko |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Size | 42 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shingo Otsuhata](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871224706) | [HIROKO KARINO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896587097) |

## What reviewers say

### Understudy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/understudy-learn-your-lines/id6758158317)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Understudy Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Understudy Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Buy me a coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Add a donut | $1.99 | one-time |
| Add a sandwich | $3.99 | one-time |


### SoftMotionHanko

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/softmotionhanko/id6771233106)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hanko Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Understudy free?

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

### Is SoftMotionHanko free?

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

### Do Understudy or SoftMotionHanko have ads?

Neither Understudy nor SoftMotionHanko shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Understudy or SoftMotionHanko?

Understudy ships an update monthly, and SoftMotionHanko weekly. Most recently, Understudy was updated on September 29, 2026 and SoftMotionHanko on October 3, 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.*