# HiNative vs Kanji Study

The clearest difference is update cadence: Kanji Study at every 2 days against HiNative's fortnightly. HiNative's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HiNative sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and Kanji Study sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for HiNative against 4.7 for Kanji Study. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 7.2K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 68% and 67% positive.

HiNative ships an update fortnightly, Kanji Study every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HiNative | Kanji Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinative-language-learning/id923920480/reviews) | **[4.7 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-study-learn-japanese/id1078107994/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 7.2K |
| Positive reviews | **68.3% of reviews** | 67.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 66 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lang-8, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/923920479) | [Luli Languages LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/972910241) |

## What reviewers say

### HiNative

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinative-language-learning/id923920480)

Connect with native speakers worldwide to ask questions about languages and cultures. Get pronunciation help, writing corrections, and cultural insights. Learn and help others in over 110 languages.

**Highlights:** Ask questions via audio or text, Get writing corrections from natives, Post pictures for context, Connect with speakers from 170+ countries, Supports over 110 languages, Premium features for enhanced learning

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $4.49 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $4.49 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $9.99 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $9.99 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $34.99 | per year |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $34.99 | per year |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $83.99 | per year |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $83.99 | per year |
| Hinative Coin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hinative Coin | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for language learning
- 🤝 Friendly and welcoming community
- ⚡ Quick response times
- 💡 Ability to help others learn languages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessive paywalls and premium features
- 🔍 Limited free question templates
- 🗣️ Inability to listen to audio responses without premium
- 🗑️ Outdated or incorrect answers from users

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes or freezes
- Inconsistent notification behavior
- Issues with landscape orientation
- Difficulty changing language settings

**Requested features**

- Private messaging or chat functionality
- Ability to filter or search past questions
- Moderation system to ensure quality answers
- More language options and dialects


### Kanji Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kanji-study-learn-japanese/id1078107994)

This app teaches Japanese kanji by focusing on vocabulary words. It offers writing practice with stroke detection and spaced repetition reviews for effective memorization. Learn kanji readings naturally through over 5,000 JLPT-aligned words.

**Highlights:** Vocabulary-first kanji learning, Writing lessons with stroke detection, Spaced repetition reviews, Full JLPT N5-N1 coverage, Audio pronunciation, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Level 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Level 2 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Level 3 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Level 4 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Level 5 | $14.99 | one-time |
| All Levels | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for learning kanji
- 👍 Effective review system
- 💡 Organized by JLPT levels
- 👍 Affordable one-time purchase
- 👍 Helps with writing practice and muscle memory

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sensitive kanji recognition, sometimes doesn't accept correct strokes
- 🐛 Review sessions can get very long and tedious
- 🐛 Inconsistent kanji definitions and translations
- 🐛 Lack of syncing progress across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Certain kanji not recognized correctly
- App crashing or freezing, especially during long review sessions
- Progress not syncing across devices

**Requested features**

- Option to customize review sessions (select specific kanji, JLPT levels, etc.)
- Add both on and kun readings for kanji
- Implement sentence practice and vocabulary exercises
- Add support for more languages (e.g. Russian)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HiNative free?

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

### Is Kanji Study free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HiNative or Kanji Study?

Kanji Study is rated higher. HiNative averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Kanji Study averages 4.7 from 7.2K ratings.

### Do HiNative or Kanji Study have ads?

Neither HiNative nor Kanji Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HiNative or Kanji Study?

HiNative ships an update fortnightly, and Kanji Study every 2 days. Most recently, HiNative was updated on October 21, 2026 and Kanji Study on October 20, 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.*