# Hiragana Times vs Satori Reader

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hiragana Times | Satori Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiragana-times/id729245159/reviews) | **[4.8 (218 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satori-reader/id1382950847/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 73 | **218** |
| Positive reviews | 20.5% of reviews | **90.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 23 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [We Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/867899879) | [Brak Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/304088759) |

## What reviewers say

### Hiragana Times

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiragana-times/id729245159)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (32)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hiragana Times Digital Version | $5.49 | per month |
| Hiragana Times Digital Version | $6.99 | per month |
| 定期購読 | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Hiragana Times Digital Version | $30.99 | per 6 months |
| Hiragana Times Digital Version | $41.99 | per 6 months |
| Hiragana Times Digital Version | $55.99 | per year |
| Hiragana Times Digital Version | $66.99 | per year |
| ひらがなタイムズ2013年12月号 | $4.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2016年2月号 | $4.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2016年5月号 | $4.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2023年10月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年03月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年01月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2026年07月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2026年06月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2026年05月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2026年03月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2025年12月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2022年11月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2023年01月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2025年05月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2025年04月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2025年03月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2025年02月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2025年01月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年12月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年10月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年09月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年07月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年05月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2024年06月号 | $5.99 | one-time |
| ひらがなタイムズ2023年05月号 | $5.99 | one-time |


### Satori Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/satori-reader/id1382950847)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Satori Reader Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Satori Reader Annual | $89.99 | per year |
| Satori Reader Annual | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for improving reading and listening skills
- 👍 Detailed grammar and vocabulary explanations
- 🎨 Customizable display settings for kanji/furigana
- 💡 Integrated spaced repetition flashcard system
- 🎧 High-quality voice acting and audio

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app crashes or sync issues
- 🕰️ Lack of speed control for audio playback
- 💰 Subscription-based model can be expensive
- 🔍 Limited search/navigation functionality

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*