Comparison

KanjiLesson vs Bunchuu

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

Head to head
About

KanjiLesson

Features
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The ultimate Kanji drill app based on Japan's official Kanji Kentei (Kanken) exam — Grade 10 to Grade 2. Study with the character "Kanjiro" guiding you through fun and effective learning. [4 Study Modes] - Reading Quiz: Choose the correct reading from 4 options - Writing Practice: Handwrite kanji with AI-powered recognition - Radical Quiz: Identify the radical from 4 choices - Idiom Quiz: Fill in the blank in four-character idioms [Level-based Learning] - Lev1 Basic: High-frequency kanji - Lev2 Advanced: Intermediate difficulty - Lev3 Expert: Rare readings and special characters [Test Mode] - Exam Mode: 20 questions in 15 minutes - Random Mode: Quick 10-question practice - Review missed questions only [Statistics & Progress] - Accuracy charts by grade and type - Daily streak counter - Progress bars for each grade

About

Bunchuu

This app enhances language learning by providing real-world context for vocabulary and kanji. It offers customizable study sessions, offline access, and seamless synchronization with an existing learning platform. Enjoy a visually appealing and private study experience.

Highlights
  • Vocabulary in context with furigana
  • Customizable study and review sessions
  • Offline access and progress syncing
  • Visual progress tracking
  • Private study with no tracking
  • Dark mode support
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Bunchuu is a beautiful, fast, native companion app for WaniKani. Do your lessons and reviews anywhere — then go further, and meet every kanji where it lives: in real sentences. VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT Real context sentences for every vocabulary item. Furigana readings and plain-English grammar notes, one tap away. Translations stay veiled until you ask, so you can test yourself first. YOUR STUDIES, YOUR PACE Hand-pick exactly which radicals, kanji, and vocabulary to learn next. Review in batches, choose the ordering, and ask meaning and reading back to back — or far apart. Typo tolerance, your own synonyms, an automatic kana keyboard, and a leech threshold you control. WANIKANI'S SRS, SYNCED Works fully offline — lessons, reviews, and every mnemonic are cached on your device, and progress syncs when you're back online. Your progress lives in your WaniKani account, so you can switch between Bunchuu and the website at any time. Accuracy, streaks, and review history for every item. WATCH YOUR PROGRESS RISE Every level and every SRS stage, at a glance. Get notified the moment reviews are ready. A DELIGHTFUL PLACE TO STUDY A watercolor world, from the radicals to the snack breaks. Beautiful enough to make reviews feel like a treat. Full dark mode. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No Bunchuu account, no analytics, no tracking. Your study data syncs directly between your device and your WaniKani account. Bunchuu requires an active WaniKani account (wanikani.com). WaniKani's free trial covers its first three levels, so you can try both together. Bunchuu is an unofficial third-party app and is not affiliated with WaniKani or Tofugu, LLC.

Screenshots

KanjiLesson4 screens
Bunchuu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Bunchuu at none against KanjiLesson's shown. Bunchuu also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KanjiLesson ships an update every 2 months, Bunchuu every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
KanjiLesson versus Bunchuu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKanjiLessonBunchuu
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBYNETFour Skills Labs, LLC

In-app purchases

None

KanjiLesson

No in-app purchases

None

Bunchuu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KanjiLesson free?
KanjiLesson is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bunchuu free?
Bunchuu is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do KanjiLesson or Bunchuu have ads?
KanjiLesson shows ads; Bunchuu does not.
Which is updated more often, KanjiLesson or Bunchuu?
KanjiLesson ships an update every 2 months, and Bunchuu every 2 weeks. Most recently, KanjiLesson was updated on October 2, 2026 and Bunchuu on October 2, 2026.

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