# HelloChinese vs Cram Lock

The clearest difference is chart position: HelloChinese at #112 against Cram Lock's unranked. HelloChinese also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HelloChinese sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Cram Lock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HelloChinese ships an update weekly, Cram Lock every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HelloChinese | Cram Lock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#112** | — |
| Size | 98 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HelloChinese Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1001507515) | [Mack Ortis](https://appshunter.io/developer/6811954859) |

## What reviewers say

### HelloChinese

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

**Currently charting:** #112 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


### Cram Lock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cram-lock/id6811954857)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HelloChinese free?

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

### Is Cram Lock free?

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

### Do HelloChinese or Cram Lock have ads?

Neither HelloChinese nor Cram Lock shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HelloChinese or Cram Lock?

HelloChinese ships an update weekly, and Cram Lock every 11 days. Most recently, HelloChinese was updated on October 30, 2026 and Cram Lock on October 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.*