Comparison

Trace and Learn! Japanese vs ColumnSteps

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

Head to head
About

Trace and Learn! Japanese

Practice writing Japanese Hiragana and Katakana characters by tracing them on your screen. Progress through increasingly challenging levels and unlock cute animations as you master each letter.

Highlights
  • Trace Hiragana and Katakana characters
  • Progressive difficulty levels
  • Unlockable cute animations
  • Interactive learning
  • Character recognition feedback
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Learn Japanese Hiragana and Katakana by tracing letters on the screen! Practice each character step by step, improve your writing accuracy, and unlock cute animations as you progress. Start with simple characters and gradually take on more challenging ones. Trace carefully along the guide lines to clear each stage and build confidence with Japanese kana. Features: - Learn both Hiragana and Katakana - Practice by tracing letters directly on the screen - Start easy and progress at your own pace - Improve accuracy through repeat practice - Unlock cute animations as a reward for learning A fun and simple way to begin learning Japanese letters!

About

ColumnSteps

Features
Read full description

ColumnSteps: Addition は、筆算の基本を一歩ずつ身につける学習アプリです。 繰り上がりを自分で考えながら入力することで、仕組みを理解し、確かな計算力を育てます。 主な機能 ・繰り上がりを考えながら入力 ・アシストモード搭載 ・位をそろえた見やすい筆算レイアウト ・段階的に学べる問題 ・シンプルで集中しやすい画面 このような方におすすめ ・筆算を初めて学ぶお子さま ・繰り上がりが苦手なお子さま ・家庭学習や授業の復習 ・計算力を基礎から身につけたい方 今後も新しい問題や機能を追加していく予定です。

Screenshots

Trace and Learn! Japanese4 screens
ColumnSteps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Trace and Learn! Japanese at none against ColumnSteps's shown. Trace and Learn! Japanese also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). ColumnSteps's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 months). On price 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trace and Learn! Japanese ships an update every 6 months, ColumnSteps every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Trace and Learn! Japanese versus ColumnSteps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrace and Learn! JapaneseColumnSteps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMakorinoKatsuhiko Yao

In-app purchases

None

Trace and Learn! Japanese

No in-app purchases

None

ColumnSteps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Trace and Learn! Japanese free?
Trace and Learn! Japanese is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ColumnSteps free?
ColumnSteps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Trace and Learn! Japanese or ColumnSteps have ads?
ColumnSteps shows ads; Trace and Learn! Japanese does not.
Which is updated more often, Trace and Learn! Japanese or ColumnSteps?
Trace and Learn! Japanese ships an update every 6 months, and ColumnSteps every 3 days. Most recently, Trace and Learn! Japanese was updated on November 1, 2026 and ColumnSteps on October 31, 2026.

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