# karate vs ESF

The clearest difference is price: ESF at Free against karate's $4.99. ESF also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 63 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

ESF is free to download; karate costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

karate ships an update every 63 months, ESF every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and May 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | karate | ESF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 63 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pierre Stanislas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1261009329) | [Enric Serrano Murt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1111151114) |

## What reviewers say

### karate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karate/id982443770)

Prepare for your Shotokan Karate belt exams with expert guidance and exclusive video tutorials. Covers official regulations, techniques, and a comprehensive glossary of terms.

**Highlights:** Belt exam preparation (yellow to black belt), Official regulations and exclusive tips, Video tutorials for Kihon, Katas, and Bunkai, Comprehensive technique library, Karate terminology glossary

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ESF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esf/id1441362200)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is karate free?

karate costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ESF free?

ESF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do karate or ESF have ads?

Neither karate nor ESF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, karate or ESF?

karate ships an update every 63 months, and ESF every 3 months. Most recently, karate was updated on September 18, 2026 and ESF on May 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.*