# SmartHanzi vs Hanzi Trainer

The clearest difference is rating: SmartHanzi at 3.7 against Hanzi Trainer's 3.0. SmartHanzi also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Hanzi Trainer's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hanzi Trainer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. SmartHanzi asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartHanzi holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartHanzi | Hanzi Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smarthanzi/id1118405987/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-trainer/id1644679705/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 287 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jean SOULAT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118405986) | [Ulrich Neymeyr](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619482197) |

## 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


### Hanzi Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-trainer/id1644679705)

This app helps users memorize Chinese characters using mnemonic phrases based on etymology. It offers training for reading and writing, targeted repetition, and detailed statistics to track learning progress. It includes thousands of characters and radicals for comprehensive study.

**Highlights:** Mnemonic phrases for memorization, Reading and writing training, Targeted repetition system, Detailed learning statistics, 4000 Hanzi characters, Radical training (Kangxi)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartHanzi free?

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

### Is Hanzi Trainer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmartHanzi or Hanzi Trainer?

SmartHanzi is rated higher. SmartHanzi averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Hanzi Trainer averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do SmartHanzi or Hanzi Trainer have ads?

Neither SmartHanzi nor Hanzi Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartHanzi or Hanzi Trainer?

SmartHanzi ships an update every 2 months, and Hanzi Trainer every 2 months. Most recently, SmartHanzi was updated on October 24, 2026 and Hanzi Trainer on October 19, 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.*