# SmartHanzi vs Chinese Begin

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartHanzi at none against Chinese Begin's 3. Chinese Begin's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chinese Begin sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SmartHanzi asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartHanzi ships an update every 2 months, Chinese Begin every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartHanzi | Chinese Begin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 287 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Jean SOULAT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118405986) | [Wuhan Youhang Network Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610955222) |

## 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


### Chinese Begin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-begin/id1610955220)

Master Chinese with interactive lessons covering listening, writing, and speaking. Practice grammar with quizzes and access live and micro-courses. Start with free video lessons and upgrade for full access to practice, quizzes, and live classes.

**Highlights:** Interactive listening exercises, Character stroke guidance for writing, Speech recording and scoring, Grammar quizzes, Live and micro-courses, Free video lessons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| membership for one month | $9.99 | one-time |
| membership for six months | $49.99 | one-time |
| membership for one year | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartHanzi free?

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

### Is Chinese Begin free?

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

### Do SmartHanzi or Chinese Begin have ads?

Neither SmartHanzi nor Chinese Begin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartHanzi or Chinese Begin?

SmartHanzi ships an update every 2 months, and Chinese Begin every 3 weeks. Most recently, SmartHanzi was updated on November 2, 2026 and Chinese Begin on November 3, 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.*