GENKI Conjugation Cards vs Ringotan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GENKI Conjugation Cards
Master Japanese verb and adjective conjugations with this interactive flashcard app. Practice by speaking or typing, and focus on tricky forms with smart card removal. Includes comprehensive coverage of elementary-level conjugations and detailed rule explanations.
- Verb and adjective conjugation practice
- Speaking and typing practice modes
- Smart card removal for focused study
- Comprehensive elementary-level coverage
- Detailed conjugation rule explanations
- Example sentences and illustrations
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Firmly master the conjugation of Japanese verbs and adjectives! This app helps you to master the conjugation of elementary verbs and adjectives through practice at your own pace. This is the official iPhone app for GENKI: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese, a best-selling series of Japanese learning materials boasting more than 3.5 million copies sold. *This app will not play audio if your device is in Silent mode (Vibrate mode). To hear the audio, please turn Silent mode off. Advantages •You can view the cards and listen to the recordings as you like, enabling you to study at your own pace. •The different conjugations are mastered through two types of practice: saying the conjugated forms aloud or typing them. •All conjugation forms studied at the elementary level are covered: 18 for verbs and 10 for adjectives •As you go through each conjugation card deck, the cards answered correctly are automatically removed, allowing you to efficiently focus on the trickier words in the next round of practice. Study methods Study: Practice each word by looking at the cards and repeatedly saying the conjugated forms aloud. (1) Each card has a word and the conjugation type to be practiced. Say the word in the conjugated form indicated. (2) Tap the sound icon to check whether you said the conjugated form correctly. (3) Tap the * icon to check the conjugated form in writing. (4) Study the use of the conjugated form by referring to the example sentence and illustration on the back side of the card. (5) Tap the Rule icon to see the conjugation rule. Check: Test your retention of each conjugated form by typing in your answers.* (1) Type in the conjugated form as instructed. (2) If you entered the correct form, the card will be removed from the study set. Cards answered incorrectly or skipped will remain in the deck for further practice. *To study with the Check method, you will need to add a Japanese keyboard to your iPhone settings before starting. Handy features •List All conjugation forms of each word are listed in this feature, with the words arranged in a-i-u-e-o order. A check mark is displayed next to each conjugation form that has been mastered and the Study view card for each entry can be opened, allowing you to review the conjugations via the list. •Rule This feature lists the rules for all 28 conjugation types covered by the app, enabling you to quickly look up the way to form conjugations such as the passive, the causative, the causative passive, and the tricky te-form. •Shuffle Mode Activating this mode will cause the app to display the cards in the Study mode in random order, rather than the default order. Shuffling the deck will help you to more firmly master the material. •Tutorials The tutorials provide helpful lessons on how to add a Japanese keyboard and operate each function. —Ads: The app does not display any ads that might interfere with learning.
Ringotan
Master Japanese Kanji by practicing writing. This app uses advanced input detection and spaced repetition to help you learn quickly and effectively. Focuses on the physical act of writing characters, not just recognition.
- Learn Kanji by writing
- Advanced input detection
- Spaced repetition system (SRS)
- Focus on writing, not just reading
- Frequent updates with new features
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Learn Kanji by actually writing it! Ringotan is the first app built from the ground up to teach you how to WRITE Japanese Kanji, not just read them. By combining advanced input detection with industry-standard SRS (spaced repetition) algorithms, Ringotan ensures you learn as fully and quickly as possible. ----------------- Ringotan is free for a limited time. We update frequently, so be sure to check back for new features!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ringotan at 96% against GENKI Conjugation Cards's 34%. Ringotan also leads on price (Free vs $6.99) and rating (4.9 vs 2.7). GENKI Conjugation Cards's advantage is chart position (#92 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Ringotan is free to download; GENKI Conjugation Cards costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ringotan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ringotan has 574 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of GENKI Conjugation Cards's written reviews are positive against 96% of Ringotan's.
GENKI Conjugation Cards ships an update every 9 months, Ringotan every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | GENKI Conjugation Cards | Ringotan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.7 (22 ratings) | 4.9 (574 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.2% of reviews | 95.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 22 | 574 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #92 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 12.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 134 MB | 206 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Japan Times Publishing, Ltd. | Daniel Pflughoeft |
Customer experience
GENKI Conjugation Cards
Ringotan
Bugs and requests
GENKI Conjugation Cards
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Ringotan
Reported bugs
2 issues- Occasional issues with stroke order recognition
- Some kanji pronunciations not accurately represented
Requested features
5 requests- Add dark mode option
- Allow users to create and save custom kanji lists
- Provide more detailed keyword hints before writing
- Implement device sync to continue progress across platforms
- Add notification system to remind users of upcoming reviews
In-app purchases
GENKI Conjugation Cards
No in-app purchases
Ringotan
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is GENKI Conjugation Cards free?
Is Ringotan free?
Which has better reviews, GENKI Conjugation Cards or Ringotan?
Do GENKI Conjugation Cards or Ringotan have ads?
Which is updated more often, GENKI Conjugation Cards or Ringotan?
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