Comparison

Hiragana Times vs Satori Reader

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

Head to head
About

Hiragana Times

Learn Japanese through engaging articles and audio content. This app offers a unique blend of cultural insights and language learning tools, with furigana and English translations to aid comprehension. Ideal for beginners and those preparing for language proficiency tests.

Highlights
  • Bilingual articles (English/Japanese)
  • Professional English and Japanese audio narration
  • Furigana over kanji
  • Direct sentence-by-sentence translation
  • Content relevant to JLPT
  • Access to digital library
Features
Read full description

Hiragana Times is a bilingual Japanese-English magazine read in more than 100 countries since 1986. Learn Japanese and English at the same time through articles about Japanese culture, daily life and Japan today. FEATURES - Japanese and English appear side by side, so you can follow the meaning without a dictionary. - Furigana on every kanji, with the original English word shown for katakana terms. - Read while listening to Japanese and English audio. - The same content and layout as the print magazine, page by page. - Read on your iPhone, iPad and other devices. SUBSCRIPTION - Subscribers can read every issue in the library. - Single issues are also available. - Restore purchased issues with your Apple ID, Google account or digital ID. ACHIEVEMENTS - Our articles have been used in university entrance exams and textbooks, and as Japanese teaching material at universities abroad. - Awarded the Grand Prize twice at the NTT All Japan Town Magazine Awards. --- Subscriptions: Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically for the same period and price unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://hiraganatimes.com/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://hiraganatimes.com/privacy-policy Delete your account: https://hiraganatimes.com/delete-account

About

Satori Reader

Enhance your Japanese reading and listening skills with engaging stories written by native speakers. Features adaptive kanji, smart definitions, and spaced repetition to build vocabulary. Get clarity with friendly annotations and human feedback.

Highlights
  • Compelling stories by native speakers
  • Audio narration by voice actors
  • Adaptive kanji presentation
  • Smart word definitions
  • Friendly annotations
  • Spaced repetition vocabulary review
  • Human feedback and support
Features
Read full description

Ready to take your Japanese reading and listening comprehension to the next level? Welcome to Satori Reader. COMPELLING STORIES Read from a growing library of engrossing stories written by native speakers for intermediate students, across genres such as fantasy, slice-of-life, thrillers, documentaries, news, and more. AUDIO Tap any sentence to hear it read aloud by native voice actors (no robots!). ADAPTIVE KANJI USAGE Crack the chicken-and-egg problem of reading kanji with our unique presentation engine, which adjusts the Japanese text to accommodate your actual knowledge. This allows you to challenge yourself for the kanji you should know without being overwhelmed by what you don't. SMART DEFINITIONS Tap any word for a definition. This is more than just an automated lookup. Satori Reader shows the actual sense of each word as it's being used in the sentence. For example, the particle の has many uses: it can indicate possession; it can turn the preceding verb or phrase into a noun; it can stand in for another word; and more. We show you exactly what is happening in every instance of every word. FRIENDLY ANNOTATIONS Gray underlines indicate longer annotations that break down tricky expressions, provide cultural background, or help you to read between the lines. Our editors work hard to anticipate what might be confusing and proactively help you to make sense of things. Good-bye, confusion. Hello, clarity! SPACED REPETITION SYSTEM (SRS) The built-in spaced repetition review system helps you to build your vocabulary. Create review cards instantly as you read. Each card you create takes along a snapshot of the sentence in which you encountered the word, further helping to cement it in your memory. You can even play back the audio of that sentence while reviewing the word! HUMAN FEEDBACK Still confused about something? Just ask in the discussion section below each episode. Our team of friendly human beings is ready to help. Satori Reader is built by a team that cares. Our goal is to bring satori (enlightenment) into your Japanese reading life. Set up a free account today, and let's get started. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ▪ OPTIONS: Download the app for free and enjoy unlimited access to the first two episodes of each series (new series released regularly), plus complete access to special series such as Closeup: Obon Society. Subscribed for unlimited access to the entire Satori Reader library of more than 1200 episodes (new episodes released each week), including crystal-clear audio, helpful annotations, and real human feedback. Try your first month FREE (limit one per customer; cannot be used in combination with other introductory offers; offers subject to change). ▪ EXTRAS: Your subscription to Satori Reader comes with complimentary web access, as well as access to Satori Reader on all your smartphones and tablets. ▪ PRIVACY POLICY: https://www.satorireader.com/privacy ▪ TERMS OF SERVICE: https://www.satorireader.com/terms ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ▪ Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase (following any trial period). ▪ Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. ▪ Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. ▪ Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. ▪ Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. ▪ Cancel your subscription at any time. If you cancel, you will retain full access to Satori Reader for the period you paid for and you will not be billed again. If you have any questions, write to support@satorireader.com for speedy assistance. Thank you for your business!

Screenshots

Hiragana Times4 screens
Satori Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Satori Reader at 90% against Hiragana Times's 20%. Satori Reader also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (4.8 vs 4.3). Hiragana Times's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hiragana Times sells 32 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month and Satori Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Satori Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 73 and 218 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Hiragana Times's written reviews are positive against 90% of Satori Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hiragana Times ships an update every 2 weeks, Satori Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Hiragana Times versus Satori Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiragana TimesSatori Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (73 ratings)4.8 (218 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.5% of reviews90.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings73218 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB81 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperWe Co.,LtdBrak Software, Inc.

Customer experience

Hiragana Times

All ratings73 ratings
Positive82.2%
Neutral4.1%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive20.5%
Neutral11.4%
Negative68.2%

Satori Reader

All ratings217 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews174 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative7.5%

Bugs and requests

Hiragana Times

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Satori Reader

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login issues and account creation problems
  • Syncing and loading delays on some devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to loop audio playback
  • Kanji lookup/learning tools integration
  • More advanced/diverse content selection

In-app purchases

32 purchases

Hiragana Times

Subscriptions7
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$5.491 Month
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$6.991 Month
  • 定期購読$12.993 Months
Show 4 more
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$30.996 Months
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$41.996 Months
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$55.991 Year
  • Hiragana Times Digital Version$66.991 Year
One-time25
  • ひらがなタイムズ2013年12月号$4.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2016年2月号$4.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2016年5月号$4.99
Show 22 more
  • ひらがなタイムズ2023年10月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年03月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年01月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2026年07月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2026年06月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2026年05月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2026年03月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2025年12月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2022年11月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2023年01月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2025年05月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2025年04月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2025年03月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2025年02月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2025年01月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年12月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年10月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年09月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年07月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年05月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2024年06月号$5.99
  • ひらがなタイムズ2023年05月号$5.99
3 purchases

Satori Reader

Subscriptions3
  • Satori Reader Monthly1 Month trial4 variants$8.991 Month
  • Satori Reader Annual1 Month trial$89.991 Year
  • Satori Reader Annual1 Year trial3 variants$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Hiragana Times free?
Hiragana Times is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Satori Reader free?
Satori Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hiragana Times or Satori Reader?
Satori Reader is rated higher. Hiragana Times averages 4.3 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while Satori Reader averages 4.8 from 218 ratings.
Do Hiragana Times or Satori Reader have ads?
Neither Hiragana Times nor Satori Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hiragana Times or Satori Reader?
Hiragana Times ships an update every 2 weeks, and Satori Reader every 3 months. Most recently, Hiragana Times was updated on October 29, 2026 and Satori Reader on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons