Skritter Japanese App Reviews

Simply brilliant! been studying Japanese since 1984, (for work, school, and used to live in Tokyo) this is the best character/vocab tool Ive ever seen. Use it 3x/day, 5-10 min/session. Perfect.

The best way to learn how to write kanji.

I think this is a fantastic app, but was severely disappointed when I discovered there was a monthly fee. Why not just make this a paid app at $10 or $15 and give people access after that? Unfortunately wont be using this now.

I was very impressed by the number of characters I learned quickly, but after about 2 months I stopped being able to remember more than the English meanings for the kanji. This is good for learning to recognize kanji, but as a learning tool for vocabulary, it doesnt promote long term learning. I think the problem is the sheer number of things they have you study and repeat. I did not find it easy to learn the readings or vocab words with multiple kanji or hiragana this way. I think Anki is better for actually learning vocab, but Skritter is good for learning to write Kanji and stroke order.

Skritter is like having teacher and a set of flash cards for every major Japanese text book. Kanji, Kana, reading and writing and all that jazz! Banzai!

Incredible app for learning not just kanji but also entire words.

Honestly, best Kanji memorization app Ive ever used! I always come back to it! Its fun, teaches important stroke order, packed with mnemonics, carries a pleasant audio aid, and tracks all of your progress while offering thousands of Kanji! This app is the best on the market, so I think. I adore this app, but being a broke highschool/college student, I find it difficult to pay the hearty price. I wish they had student discounts! Im hoping in several months I can afford the year subscription so that I can progress even further! Please, please find a way to make this tool more affordable! I know the team has worked so hard to push this app as far as its gone, but, please! ♡ Its difficult for students — which is the primary target here... Nevertheless, thanks for such an amazing app!!! I use it daily!!

This app is phenomenal. By far the best way to practice and learn Kanji.

I love this ... Blurp

Great app, but subscription fees are too high. Some business kanji/vocab would be nice.

The one problem I had when trying to learn kanji using the Heisig method was that it was never convenient for me to practice actually writing them. This app lets you review by actually writing them. And you can get hints by seeing stories from other people. Great supplement to thee heisig kanji app and book

This is the best kanji study tool Ive ever used and I cant recommend it enough. Worth every penny.

I thought that this one was alright at first but there were a lot of options which can be a good and bad thing depending on how you use. I on the other hand didnt know what the options meant and often got confused as to their purpose, their also was a lot of pressure to buy and upgrade.

I cant imagine trying to study Japanese without this app.

Ive been studying Japanese for over 6 years now and until last year I only knew a handful of kanji, probably less than 100. I occasionally practiced kanji with another iPhone app (iKanji) but ultimately felt like learning kanji was a lost cause until I discovered Skritter. Ive learned about 600 individual kanji in less than a year. In my opinion, the price of the subscription is worth it. Pros: Because its an app on your phone, its likely youll always have it with you, meaning you can study whenever you get the chance. I dont drive and rely entirely on public transportation and while Im waiting for or riding on a train or bus Im also using this app to study. (For reference Im on an iPhone 5s but have also used this on the iPhone 4) The app works smoothly and I think its touch-recognition is really good. Rarely does it ever misinterpret my gestures when Im writing kanji, no matter how complex the kanji is. The accuracy is amazing. It tests you on the kanjis meaning, its reading, and the stroke order. You can also have it set to an option where if youre testing the meaning, for example, the reading wont be displayed either which adds an extra level of difficulty. Someone else commented that there were "too many options" or that it was difficult to figure out how to use. I, on the other hand, found it very easy and quick to set up and use. It displays both in the app and online (in more detail) your progress as far as learning goes, as well as what your retention-rate is. Cons: The way the kanji is written can tend to be a little more stylized than necessary, in the sense that it mimics calligraphy at times, and this can be confusing. Im not sure how to explain this better, its just something that Ive noticed. I think this is really my biggest complaint with the app. I dont fully trust the example sentences because I dont know where theyre sourced from, so I tend to ignore those. Other thoughts: Adding kanji in the app (as opposed to online) can feel a little clunky but its not horrible and I guess all in all its nice that this is even something you are capable of doing while on the go. I muted the sound so I dont have any comments as far as that goes. Ultimately I believe the pros heavily outweigh the cons (including the price). This app has improved my kanji recognition/writing/vocabulary immensely, I use it daily and for me it works so well that I even find practicing kanji rather enjoyable now.

This is the best way to learn kanji I know. Also, it gives access to both Japanese and Chinese for $100/year. Great!

I needed a Japanese learning app that allowed me to input my answer by drawing the kanji. I finally found this one. If youre taking Japanese in formal education, odds are you need to be able to write the kanji as well as read them. This app helps you do so, and even includes many of the most popular text books like Genki 1 and 2 and the Heisig books. There are a couple of downsides. Firstly the cost. Long run this is going to be even more expensive than Anki, because they charge you $15 a month. They start you off with a one week trial, which during the first 24 hours I have already sunk about 3 hours into. I certainly plan on subscribing but its no cheap affair. Second, while I really love the app and interface, there are some issues. It is impossible to easily select which sections of a text book or other list you would like to go over. You select the list you want to use and where you want to start from and you power through from there. The apps decision to include words over and over again is unfortunate. The app also doesnt hide a word that you have marked "easy" more than once like it should for example. Unlike in Anki where you can finish a deck, Skritter will just have you review once you reach the end. It does not do as good a job as Anki in the spaced repetition management department. So youre looking at an app that offers a ton of features like easily and immediately accessible kanji and vocab from many popular lists, and (the selling point for me) the ability to submit your answer by writing the kanji. What you sacrifice is customization of your lists unless you make your own to begin with, and a less functional spaced repetition system. I recommend giving it a chance for a week.

I see lots of potential but 14.99 a month is way too high a price for it.

This is essentially a flash card type system that should be used with some other program or book. I have always felt that the best way to learn kanji is to learn how to write them and this app forces you to do so (enable raw squigs for the best practice). The subscription is not free but if you are determined and are willing to put the time into this app then there is no better tool out there as far as Ive seen.

By far the best app for learning characters! Only complaint is $15 a month is really expensive, it adds up to $180 per year. Maybe $30 or so a year would be much more reasonable.