Comparison

Chinese Annotator vs Pinyin Reader

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chinese Annotator

This app helps you learn Chinese by reading ePub books. It allows you to add Pinyin and English definitions directly to the text, and track your vocabulary knowledge. You can also export your learned words for flashcard review.

Highlights
  • Import ePub files
  • Add Pinyin and English definitions
  • Track known words and characters
  • Hide known Pinyin/definitions
  • Export word lists for flashcards
  • Print pages to PDF
Features
Read full description

A Chinese ePub reader to assist you in reading Chinese characters. After importing an ePub, you can add Pinyin and English on to the text in a 3-line format. After annotating the text in this way, you can then mark on a word by word basis which definitions you already know and which characters you know. There is a setting that hides the pinyin or definitions of words that you know. In this way, you are forced to look at the character and recall it instead of relying on pinyin. A word list is also available to allow you to see all words, words with unknown definitions, or words with unknown pinyin. This list of words can be exported to a file to be imported in to a flash card system, like Pleco. This allows you to easily pick out all the words you don't know in a publication and review them. You can also print the page of the book currently being displayed. In iOS 10 and greater, you can print to PDF.

About

Pinyin Reader

This reading tool automatically adds pinyin annotations to Chinese characters on web pages and PDFs. It offers translation, text-to-speech playback, and pronunciation practice to enhance learning efficiency and pronunciation skills.

Highlights
  • Automatic pinyin annotations
  • Integrated web and PDF reader
  • Character definition and pronunciation lookup
  • Sentence-by-sentence text-to-speech
  • Pronunciation assessment and shadowing practice
  • Vocabulary and sentence saving
  • Ad-free reading experience
Features
Read full description

Pinyin Reader - A smart reading tool designed for Chinese language learners. Browse any Chinese web page with automatic pinyin annotations on Chinese characters. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, Pinyin Reader helps improve your reading efficiency and pronunciation skills. Key Features: SMART PINYIN ANNOTATIONS - Built-in browser that automatically adds pinyin to Chinese characters - Color-coded tonal pinyin and toneless display modes - One-tap toggle for pinyin display - Powered by a proprietary self-trained model for superior annotation accuracy HSK LEVEL FILTER - Choose your level, from HSK 1 to HSK 7-9 - Pinyin fades from the words you already know - Names, proper nouns and technical terms keep their pinyin - Works in Reader Mode, the PDF reader and the built-in browser - Applies instantly, covers 6,330 words, fully offline IMMERSIVE READER MODE - Ad-free, distraction-free reading experience - Adjustable font size, font style, and background themes - Tap any character to view definitions and hear standard pronunciation TRANSLATION - Translate page content into 108 target languages - Seamless translation integrated within Reader Mode PDF READER - Open local PDF files with automatic pinyin annotations - Translate PDF content into your target language - Tap characters for pronunciation and dictionary lookup - Outline navigation, text/pinyin search, and theme switching - Pinyin scales with the page as you pinch to zoom, sharp at any level - Never overlaps the text or clips tone marks LISTENING MODE - Sentence-by-sentence text-to-speech playback - Karaoke-style pinyin highlighting synced with audio playback - Adjustable speed (0.4x to 2.0x) for different proficiency levels - Current sentence highlighting for easy follow-along VOICE CUSTOMIZATION - Browse all Chinese speech synthesis voices available on your device - Preview each voice before selecting - Supports system voices and third-party TTS engines SHADOWING PRACTICE - Record your reading after listening to the reference audio - Intelligent scoring system for real-time pronunciation assessment - Continuous improvement of your Mandarin pronunciation COLLECTION & NOTES - Save vocabulary and favorite sentences for review - Add personal notes with color tags - Archive management organized by source page LEARNING GROWTH SYSTEM - Daily learning streak to build consistent habits - Customizable daily goals (5 to 60 minutes) - XP rewards for reading, listening, shadowing, reviewing, and collecting - 3 daily quests at starter, core, and challenge levels - 6 achievement milestones from first session to mastery - Share a redesigned card with streak, stats, vocabulary, and QR code - Optional daily reminders to keep your streak alive BOOKMARKS & HISTORY - Bookmark frequently visited pages - Automatic browsing history grouped by date - Search and batch management support MULTI-LANGUAGE SUPPORT - Interface available in 51 languages - Google and Bing search engine support PRIVACY FIRST - All data stored locally on your device - No registration or login required - No personal data collected Whether you're reading news, novels, or academic articles, Pinyin Reader is your perfect companion for learning Chinese. Download now and start your efficient Chinese reading journey! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chinese Annotator4 screens
Pinyin Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pinyin Reader at Free against Chinese Annotator's $0.99. Pinyin Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1). Chinese Annotator's advantage is ratings volume (30 vs 1) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.5). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Pinyin Reader is free to download; Chinese Annotator costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pinyin Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chinese Annotator has 30 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chinese Annotator versus Pinyin Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChinese AnnotatorPinyin Reader
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (30 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings30 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB135 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJon Hargett粤珠 袁

Customer experience

Chinese Annotator

All ratings30 ratings
Positive76.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive72.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative16.0%

Pinyin Reader

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chinese Annotator

No in-app purchases

None

Pinyin Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chinese Annotator free?
Chinese Annotator costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pinyin Reader free?
Pinyin Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chinese Annotator or Pinyin Reader?
Pinyin Reader is rated higher. Chinese Annotator averages 4.1 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Pinyin Reader averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Chinese Annotator or Pinyin Reader have ads?
Neither Chinese Annotator nor Pinyin Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chinese Annotator or Pinyin Reader?
Chinese Annotator ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pinyin Reader every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chinese Annotator was updated on October 9, 2026 and Pinyin Reader on October 8, 2026.

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