Choose a kanji writing app for the practice you need
Do you want a short phone handwriting round, kana alongside kanji, or a character workflow with textbook lists and browser writing? Compare those needs before comparing character totals.
Creator disclosure: I’m Gilad Ronen, the creator of KanjiBrush. This guide describes my app alongside two alternatives. It is not an independent benchmark or a ranking. Competitor facts below come from their official pages, checked ; advertised coverage is not an audit of the content or feedback.
Compare the workflow
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to read all three apps. Each source link opens the vendor’s current description.
| What matters | KanjiBrush | Ringotan | Skritter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing practice | Guided strokes followed by writing without the model, with stroke feedback. The first round has three kanji. | Advertises handwriting input and character instruction. Official overview. | Advertises stroke-level feedback and writing in a browser. Official overview. |
| Material | 1,257 audited unique kanji, including all 80 Grade 1 entries. See the free starting set. | Advertises hiragana, katakana and 3,500 kanji. Coverage description. | Offers Chinese and Japanese study. Language overview. |
| Returning practice | Due reviews begin with recall without a guide. Study progress is stored locally on the device. | Describes spaced repetition based on character knowledge. Review description. | Describes reviewing difficult characters more often. Review description. |
| Lists and selection | School-grade groups and custom sets selected from the app’s existing kanji inventory. | Advertises textbook support; check your particular course. Textbook description. | Offers textbook lists, user lists and your own lists. List description. |
| Access and offers | 80 Grade 1 characters start free. Optional paid plans unlock further content and modes; current regional terms and prices appear in the app before purchase. KanjiBrush terms. | The site currently offers people who download now continued full access free, while saying the app may become paid. This is Ringotan’s dated offer, not a guarantee from us. Check the current offer. | The website advertises a seven-day trial and paid plans. Web offers need not match mobile-store prices or eligibility. Current offer · Terms. |
Prices and offers were checked on 4 November 2026 and can change. Confirm the actual checkout, renewal and cancellation terms for your platform and region. An unlisted feature is unknown here, not proof that an app lacks it. This table does not compare grading accuracy, retention, speed or complete syllabuses.
Start with your constraint
- A brief phone writing routine: consider KanjiBrush if you want to trace, attempt the character without its model and return to due reviews. Its smaller audited inventory is a boundary to check against your course.
- Kana and a larger advertised kanji inventory: consider Ringotan if those are priorities. Verify that its textbook ordering matches your edition. Read its current description.
- Browser writing or Chinese as well as Japanese: consider Skritter if those workflows and flexible lists matter. Check your exact list and device before subscribing. Explore its workflow.
Try the same small task before choosing
- Choose three characters you recognize but cannot confidently write. Keep the characters and device consistent when trying apps.
- Inspect a model, make one guided attempt, then attempt the character without the model where the tool supports it. Notice whether you understand the feedback and how to correct an error.
- Check how you find those characters again, follow your course list and see what is free. Return after a break and record what you can attempt before looking at the answer.
This is a personal fit check, not a controlled learning experiment. An app score and a correct unaided attempt are different observations. No result from this comparison establishes which app teaches faster or produces better retention.
Try our free 日・目・田 browser self-check →
The browser drill is a manual self-check, not the app’s automatic stroke assessment. If the phone workflow fits, see KanjiBrush’s iPhone and Android download options.