Comparison

Daily Kanji vs Stepwise

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

Head to head
About

Daily Kanji

Master over 2,000 Japanese kanji with a science-backed spaced repetition algorithm. Learn readings, meanings, stroke order, and pronunciation. Practice on your lock screen for daily exposure.

Highlights
  • FSRS spaced repetition algorithm
  • 2,000+ kanji coverage (JLPT N5-N1)
  • Stroke order tracing
  • Pitch accent practice
  • Native speaker audio
  • Lock screen widget for daily kanji
  • Progress tracking and streaks
Features
Read full description

Master 2,000+ kanji. Learn Japanese the smart way — one day at a time. Daily Kanji uses the FSRS spaced repetition algorithm to help you remember kanji permanently, not just for a test. Whether you're preparing for the JLPT or picking up Japanese for travel, Daily Kanji adapts to your level and schedule. STUDY SMARTER, NOT HARDER • Science-backed FSRS v5 algorithm schedules reviews at the perfect time for long-term retention • Set a daily goal that fits your life — from 3 to 50 kanji per day • Track your progress with a streak system and detailed learning stats LEARN KANJI IN DEPTH • 2,000+ kanji covering JLPT N5 through N1 • See readings (on'yomi & kun'yomi), meanings, and component breakdowns • Study real example sentences to understand kanji in context • Explore 15 topic categories: Everyday Conversation, Travel, Food & Drink, Business, Technology, and more PRACTICE STROKE ORDER • Trace every kanji stroke-by-stroke on a guided canvas • Watch the correct order play back, then try it yourself • Build muscle memory for every stroke from day one SOUND JAPANESE • Practice pitch accent on real readings with a clear visual contour • Tap to record yourself and get instant feedback on your pitch • Recognize atamadaka, heiban, nakadaka, and odaka patterns at a glance HEAR NATIVE PRONUNCIATION • Listen to kanji and example sentences read aloud by native Japanese speakers • Choose from 2 different voices to find one you click with LOOK UP ANY KANJI • Draw a kanji by hand and get instant matches with built-in handwriting recognition • See meanings, readings, and related words for any kanji in the dictionary • Look up kanji you encounter in the wild — no copy-paste or radicals needed YOUR FAVOURITE ANKI DECKS, BUILT IN • Study popular community decks including Kaishi 1.5k, Core 6k, Tango N4, and Tango N5 • JLPT-level word lists from N5 through N1 ready to go out of the box • All decks use the same FSRS algorithm — no importing or syncing required LEARN FROM YOUR LOCK SCREEN • Add a kanji widget to your Home Screen or Lock Screen • See a new kanji every time you check your phone — no app launch needed • Customize refresh intervals and active hours to match your routine • Get up to 10x more kanji exposure through passive review STAY MOTIVATED • Build a daily learning streak and watch your heatmap fill in over the year • Get gentle daily reminders so you never miss a review • See exactly how many kanji you've learned, saved, and still need to review EASY ON THE EYES • Full dark mode for your eyes and your battery • Follows your system appearance automatically, or pick light or dark manually PERSONALIZED TO YOU • Select your JLPT level (N5–N1) and choose the categories that interest you • Adjust your daily goal, voice preference, theme, and notification schedule anytime Start building your kanji knowledge today — just a few minutes a day is all it takes. Master 2,000+ kanji with science-backed spaced repetition. Practice stroke order, train your pitch accent, look up any kanji by drawing it, study popular Anki decks, learn on your lock screen, and hear native pronunciation. TERMS: https://dailykanji.io/terms PRIVACY: https://dailykanji.io/privacy

About

Stepwise

Features
Read full description

Don't watch BFS run. Be BFS. Stepwise is a daily training game for software engineers, built for a phone: tap, drag and swipe. There's no typing on a tiny keyboard. BE THE ALGORITHM Execute real algorithms by hand on freshly generated inputs. Tap nodes in the order breadth-first search visits them, pick which node Dijkstra settles next, sift a value through a heap, probe a sorted array like binary search. Every move is scored, and the puzzles never run out. THE DAILY SET Five challenges, the same for every developer that day. Keep your streak and share a spoiler-free result card. A RATING THAT MEANS SOMETHING Every topic has its own Elo, like chess puzzles. Difficulty adapts to you. MORE GAMES Big-O Blitz, Bug Hunt, Line Up, Output Oracle (Java, Python, SQL), Pick the Structure and Pattern Spotter. There is also an Engineering track: race conditions, SQL traps, index choice. Every answer is checked: generated puzzles take their answer key from the real algorithm, and code snippets are verified by actually running them. Challenge a friend with a link to the exact puzzle you just solved. Your full history is saved, so you can replay anything you missed.

Screenshots

Daily Kanji4 screens
Stepwise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stepwise at none against Daily Kanji's 3. Stepwise also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 6 days). Daily Kanji's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Daily Kanji sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Stepwise asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Daily Kanji ships an update every 6 days, Stepwise daily. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Daily Kanji versus Stepwise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDaily KanjiStepwise
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (117 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings117 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysDaily — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron JohnHakob Hakobyan

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Daily Kanji

Subscriptions3
  • Daily Kanji Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Daily Kanji Premium7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Daily Kanji Premium$29.991 Year
None

Stepwise

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Daily Kanji free?
Daily Kanji is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stepwise free?
Stepwise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Daily Kanji or Stepwise have ads?
Both Daily Kanji and Stepwise show ads.
Which is updated more often, Daily Kanji or Stepwise?
Daily Kanji ships an update every 6 days, and Stepwise daily. Most recently, Daily Kanji was updated on October 28, 2026 and Stepwise on October 13, 2026.

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