# SmartHanzi vs Hanyu Wave

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartHanzi at none against Hanyu Wave's 4. SmartHanzi also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Hanyu Wave's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and rating (4.0 vs 3.7). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hanyu Wave sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. SmartHanzi asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hanyu Wave holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of SmartHanzi's written reviews are positive against 75% of Hanyu Wave's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SmartHanzi ships an update every 2 months, Hanyu Wave weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartHanzi | Hanyu Wave |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smarthanzi/id1118405987/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanyu-wave/id1556400151/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 287 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jean SOULAT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118405986) | [Kyungil Choi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556400153) |

## 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


### Hanyu Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanyu-wave/id1556400151)

Learn and practice Chinese vocabulary and characters with daily lessons and AI-powered quizzes. Covers all HSK levels, from beginner to advanced. Master your Chinese word knowledge anywhere, anytime.

**Highlights:** Learn words and characters daily, Practice with shuffle quizzes, AI-based quiz generation, Comprehension management, Covers all HSK levels (1-6), Offline practice

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pass | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Pass | $4.49 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Pass | $14.49 | per year |
| HSK Vocabulary | $16.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartHanzi free?

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

### Is Hanyu Wave free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmartHanzi or Hanyu Wave?

Hanyu Wave is rated higher. SmartHanzi averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Hanyu Wave averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do SmartHanzi or Hanyu Wave have ads?

Neither SmartHanzi nor Hanyu Wave shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartHanzi or Hanyu Wave?

SmartHanzi ships an update every 2 months, and Hanyu Wave weekly. Most recently, SmartHanzi was updated on October 24, 2026 and Hanyu Wave on October 16, 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.*