Comparison

VLJ Words vs GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.

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

Head to head
About

VLJ Words

This app is a dedicated learning tool for registered students of VLJ e-Learning Japanese language courses. It offers comprehensive lessons on Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji, and vocabulary, incorporating native speaker pronunciation and the Ezoe Method for intuitive acquisition. Users can also create custom word banks.

Highlights
  • Hiragana and Katakana learning
  • 1,000+ Kanji characters
  • 3,000+ beginner-level words
  • Native speaker pronunciation
  • Ezoe Method for intuitive acquisition
  • Custom 'My Word Bank' feature
  • Stroke order and origin visualization
Features
Read full description

This is a dedicated app for the course with VLJ. ---------------------------------------- This application is solely and exclusively provided for registered students who signed up the courses with VLJ e-Learning service in particular Japanese language schools To use this app, ID and password are necessary. This application is a part of the new cloud-based educational service "Visual Learning .Japanese", which is provided by NTT ExC Partner Corporation. 【Main Functions】 In this app, the followings are included; - Hiragana - Katakana - 1,000 Kanjis and over - 3,000 words and over (mainly beginner level) In addition, users can learn not only various conjugations of verb and honorific expressions but also the pronunciation of native Japanese speakers. Users can also freely register any words which are not covered in this app in "My Word Bank." Novices can learn Hiragana, Katakana, and beginner-level Kanjis by checking their stroke orders and origins. You can also study them in enjoyable and efficient way by tracing the characters. 【Ezoe Method】 The Ezoe Method is a Japanese educational tool developed with nearly 40-year devotion by the Shinjuku Japanese Language Institute. Its visualizing and systematizing sentence structures, with original cards, allows for intuitive Japanese acquisition. 【Default languages】 English Japanese Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) Simplified Chinese (简体中文) French (français) Portuguese (português) Arabic (العربية) Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

About

GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.

Master 317 basic kanji through over 1,100 vocabulary words. This app offers a self-paced learning experience with memorization, self-checking, audio pronunciations, and stroke order animations. Track your progress and focus on challenging kanji for efficient study.

Highlights
  • Learn 317 basic kanji
  • Study over 1,100 kanji words
  • Audio recordings for vocabulary
  • Stroke order animations
  • Progress tracking
  • Memorization and self-checking modes
  • Bookmark favorite words
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Learn basic kanji through kanji words: GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. is an app that helps users become able to recognize 317 basic kanji by studying more than 1,100 kanji words at their own pace! This is the official iPhone app from the 3rd edition of GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, a best-selling series of Japanese learning materials boasting more than 3.5 million copies sold. Advantages ◆ Users can view the kanji words as they like, enabling them to study at their own pace. ◆ By repeating a process of memorization and self-checking, learners can master readings of kanji words and recognition of basic kanji. ◆ Audio recordings have been newly added for each kanji word. ◆ Kanji words already mastered are progressively removed from the study set, so users can concentrate on just the kanji that challenge them, making for a more efficient approach to learning. *This app will not play audio if your device is in Silent mode (Vibrate mode). To hear the audio, please turn Silent mode off. Study methods and functions This app has three main modes: Study, Check, and List. ◇ “Study” allows users to view the kanji words, their readings, and the target kanji for each word over and over, so they can take their time learning. ・Audio recordings of natural pronunciations by native speakers are provided for all kanji words. ・Basic information on the target kanji is provided with fun illustrations and mnemonic hints, as well as animations of their stroke order. (The illustrations and hints are taken from the very popular learning resource “Kanji Look and Learn.”) ・Users can bookmark the kanji words they like. The bookmarked words are compiled in the Bookmark list in "List." ◇ “Check” helps learners to track their mastery. ・Users check their understanding of the kanji words studied and sort them into those mastered and those not yet retained. ・The kanji words already mastered are taken out of the study set, leaving behind just those that still need to be worked on. ◇ “List” displays various lists of all the words and kanji covered by the app so that users can see their progress and review them. ・In the lists arranged in lesson order, a-i-u-e-o order, or alphabetical order, checkmarks are automatically placed next to words that have been mastered. ・Kanji information on the cards can be displayed from the entries in the On/Kun list. ・Users can search kanji words from their target kanji in the Serial # list. ・The words bookmarked in the Study mode are also listed in the Bookmark list. ・The Study view of kanji words or the target kanji can be displayed from the list entries, enabling quick review. ○This app is based on the kanji list from the third edition of GENKI. ○Ads: The app does not display any ads that might interfere with learning.

Screenshots

VLJ Words4 screens
GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VLJ Words at Free against GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.'s $6.99. VLJ Words also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.'s advantage is rating (2.7 vs 1.3) and review sentiment (19% vs 0%). On ads, 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

VLJ Words is free to download; GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. holds the better App Store score, 2.7 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. has 22 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of VLJ Words's written reviews are positive against 19% of GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLJ Words ships an update every 3 months, GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
VLJ Words versus GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLJ WordsGENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.
PriceFree — better$6.99
Rating1.3 (3 ratings)2.7 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews19.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings322 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#41 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB99 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNTT Learning Systems Corporation.The Japan Times Publishing, Ltd.

Customer experience

VLJ Words

All ratings3 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.

All ratings21 ratings
Positive38.1%
Neutral9.5%
Negative52.4%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive19.0%
Neutral14.3%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

VLJ Words

No in-app purchases

None

GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VLJ Words free?
VLJ Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. free?
GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, VLJ Words or GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.?
GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. is rated higher. VLJ Words averages 1.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. averages 2.7 from 22 ratings.
Do VLJ Words or GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. have ads?
Neither VLJ Words nor GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VLJ Words or GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed.?
VLJ Words ships an update every 3 months, and GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. every 7 months. Most recently, VLJ Words was updated on October 24, 2026 and GENKI Kanji for 3rd Ed. on October 29, 2026.

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