# SmartHanzi vs Panda Read

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Panda Read at 10.0 against SmartHanzi's 15.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartHanzi | Panda Read |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smarthanzi/id1118405987/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 287 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jean SOULAT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118405986) | [北京汉雅天诚教育科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/553419221) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartHanzi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smarthanzi/id1118405987)

This app helps users read Chinese texts by providing instant definitions for unknown words. It includes comprehensive dictionaries and etymological information to deepen understanding of characters and their variants. Progress can be tracked through HSK-based tests.

**Highlights:** Read Chinese web pages and PDFs, Instant lookup for unknown words, General and specialized Chinese dictionaries, Etymological information and character series, Simplified and traditional variant recognition, HSK level progress tests, Text-to-speech for Chinese words

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Panda Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panda-read/id1340762080)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartHanzi free?

SmartHanzi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Panda Read free?

Panda Read is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SmartHanzi or Panda Read have ads?

Neither SmartHanzi nor Panda Read shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartHanzi or Panda Read?

SmartHanzi ships an update every 2 months, and Panda Read every 2 months. Most recently, SmartHanzi was updated on October 13, 2026 and Panda Read on October 16, 2026.

---

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