# HelloChinese vs Bunpo

HelloChinese and Bunpo both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of HelloChinese's written reviews are positive against 73% of Bunpo's. HelloChinese also leads on chart position (#82 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (14.1 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HelloChinese sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for HelloChinese against 4.9 for Bunpo. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23K and 18K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of HelloChinese's written reviews are positive against 73% of Bunpo's.

HelloChinese ships an update weekly, Bunpo every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | HelloChinese | Bunpo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516/reviews) | [4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 18K |
| Positive reviews | **94.8% of reviews** | 72.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#82** | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HelloChinese Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1001507515) | [Bunpo Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279720051) |

## What reviewers say

### HelloChinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516)

**Currently charting:** #82 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a fun and effective way to learn Mandarin Chinese from beginner to conversational levels. It combines game-based lessons, stories, videos, and speech recognition to help you master pronunciation, characters, and practical conversations while exploring Chinese culture.

**Highlights:** Game-based learning, Graded stories, Immersive lessons, Video lessons, Speech recognition, Character handwriting, HSK level courses

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HelloChinese Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $16.99 | per month |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $19.99 | per month |
| HelloChinese Premium | $25.99 | per 3 months |
| HelloChinese Premium | $48.99 | per year |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $62.99 | per 6 months |
| HelloChinese Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $89.99 | per 6 months |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $104.99 | per year |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $149.99 | per year |
| 300 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 750 coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1650 coins | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to learn
- 👍 Engaging and fun
- 👍 Helpful for beginners
- 👍 Good for pronunciation practice
- 👍 Useful for learning Chinese characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent speech recognition
- 🐛 Audio quality issues in some videos
- 💰 Paywall limits access to full content
- 💰 Premium subscription is expensive

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional login issues
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- More advanced lessons beyond HSK3
- Option to toggle pinyin on a per-word basis
- Improved review system with more customization
- Addition of traditional Chinese characters
- More real-life conversation practice


### Bunpo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052)

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

**Highlights:** Learn 6 languages, Master grammar with detailed explanations, Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge, Spaced repetition for smart review, Interactive quizzes and example sentences, Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunpo Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for learning Japanese
- 👍 Well-designed and organized
- 👍 Explains grammar and usage well
- 👍 Customizable to learning needs
- 👍 Effective spaced repetition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Too much content locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported
- 🐛 Issues with keyboard and text display
- 🐛 Inconsistencies in question answers
- 🔒 Lack of offline access to paid content

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during lesson reviews
- Incorrect answers marked as wrong
- Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
- Audio playback problems

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support for tablets
- Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
- Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
- Add more languages beyond Japanese


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HelloChinese free?

HelloChinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bunpo free?

Bunpo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HelloChinese or Bunpo?

HelloChinese and Bunpo are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 23K and 18K ratings respectively.

### Do HelloChinese or Bunpo have ads?

Neither HelloChinese nor Bunpo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HelloChinese or Bunpo?

HelloChinese ships an update weekly, and Bunpo every 9 days. Most recently, HelloChinese was updated on September 24, 2026 and Bunpo on September 24, 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.*