# HelloChinese vs Read Chinese

The clearest difference is ratings volume: HelloChinese at 23K against Read Chinese's 7. HelloChinese also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and chart position (#88 vs unranked). Read Chinese's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HelloChinese sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Read Chinese sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HelloChinese holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HelloChinese has 23K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

HelloChinese ships an update weekly, Read Chinese every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HelloChinese | Read Chinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516/reviews)** | [4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-chinese-learn-mandarin/id1663165662/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 94.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#88** | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HelloChinese Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1001507515) | [Vladislav Alikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603123547) |

## What reviewers say

### HelloChinese

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

**Currently charting:** #88 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


### Read Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-chinese-learn-mandarin/id1663165662)

Master Mandarin Chinese through engaging stories and phrases. This app offers voiced pronunciations, pinyin support, and detailed translations to enhance your learning journey. It's designed for users of all levels to build vocabulary and comprehension.

**Highlights:** Read Mandarin stories, Learn Chinese phrases, Phrases sorted by HSK level, Voiced pronunciations, Pinyin representation, Sentence and word translation, Free to use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HelloChinese free?

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

### Is Read Chinese free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HelloChinese or Read Chinese?

HelloChinese is rated higher. HelloChinese averages 4.9 out of 5 from 23K ratings, while Read Chinese averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

### Do HelloChinese or Read Chinese have ads?

Neither HelloChinese nor Read Chinese shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HelloChinese or Read Chinese?

HelloChinese ships an update weekly, and Read Chinese every 2 days. Most recently, HelloChinese was updated on September 27, 2026 and Read Chinese on August 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*