Comparison

HSK Study and Exam vs Hanyu Wave

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

Head to head
About

HSK Study and Exam

Prepare for the HSK Mandarin Chinese proficiency exam with this comprehensive study tool. It offers practice questions, mock exams, vocabulary training, and detailed explanations for all six HSK levels. Achieve your goals for studying or working in China.

Highlights
  • HSK vocabulary training
  • Practice listening, reading, and writing
  • Detailed answer explanations
  • Over 300,000 practice questions
  • Mock HSK exams
  • Covers HSK levels 1-6
Features
Read full description

The previous HSK Online app has been upgraded to SuperTest. SuperTest is the world’s leading Mandarin Chinese learning app, focused on Preparation for the HSK Exam. Secure your HSK Certificate with SuperTest Plus, the efficient and cost-effective way to prepare for your HSK exam. Our curated lesson plans make sure you save time and money by focusing only on what you need to prepare for the exam. What is HSK? HSK stands for Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (Chinese: 汉语水平考试) which is the standard Chinese language test in mainland China. You can take either a written HSK exam or an online exam. If you want to study in a Chinese university or work in a Chinese company, this is the test they use to measure your Chinese level. Entry into a Chinese university normally requires HSK 4, HSK 5 or HSK 6. Whatever your HSK related goal is, from studying in China’s top universities on scholarship to working for a global Chinese enterprise, SuperTest will help you attain it. As a SuperTest Plus member, you only deserve the best. SuperTest is the top study tool to level up your Chinese skill. Additionally, it is free to use and will help you to get the score you want on your HSK test. #1 Recommended HSK app All HSK exam sections covered: Train your HSK listening skills, practice your Chinese reading speed, and let our Chinese teachers help you perfect your Chinese essay writing skills which is an important section in the HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6 exams. HSK vocabulary Practice your Chinese vocab for all HSK levels. Learn all the HSK words with our HSK vocabulary training function. All HSK words included. Detailed answer explanations To help you study for your HSK level exam, all the HSK practice material and HSK questions in the app have a detailed answer explanation. So whether you are preparing for HSK level 1 or HSK level 6, we’ve got you covered. Test preparation With a personalized daily AI review, daily mistakes review, and over 300,000 HSK practice questions, SuperTest has all you need to prepare for your HSK level test. Real HSK exams Practice for your HSK test with our HSK mock exams or previous real HSK tests for the best scores. 6 levels in one app This is a Mandarin Chinese learning app with HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6. We cover Chinese listening, reading, and writing for beginners, intermediate, and advanced Mandarin Chinese learners. Plus Membership You will have unlimited access to all the features in SuperTest for the duration of your subscription. We have 6 types of SuperTest subscriptions: PLUS for 1 month: ¥118 PLUS for 12 months: ¥488 PLUS for Lifetime: ¥698 MAX for 1 month: ¥188 MAX for 6 months: ¥588 MAX for 12 months: ¥898 Please note: After confirming your purchase, your payment will be deducted from your iTunes account. Your account will be charged the same renewal price 24 hours before the end of your current subscription period. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless you turn off auto-renewal at least 24 hours before the end of your current subscription period. You may cancel your subscription or auto-renew at any time in account settings on the App Store. More details are in《SuperTest User terms》http://api.hskonline.com/node/privacy 《SuperTest subscription renewal terms》https://f.hskcdn.com/h5/privacy/hsk/protocol.html

About

Hanyu Wave

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
Read full description

Anyone who studies Chinese has a hard time learning vocabulary. Hanyu Wave is the simplest way to learn and practice Chinese words and characters. Learn words and characters every day, and practice them with quizzes. You can learn all of the vocabulary for your target level. In 'Learn' tab, you can learn all the words and characters of the entire HSK course. Learn them and take Learn Quizzes to complete each part. Words/characters for all HSK levels are ready. -HSK1: 151 new words / 174 new characters -HSK2: 151 new words / 173 new characters -HSK3: 302 new words / 270 new characters -HSK4: 605 new words / 447 new characters -HSK5: 1,308 new words / 621 new characters -HSK6: 2,510 new words / 978 new characters In 'Practice' tab, you can practice all of the vocabulary you learned with shuffle quizzes. Based on the AI-based quiz generation and comprehension management, Hanyu Wave helps learners to clearly understand confusing words and characters. Practice at home, on the subway, anywhere. With Hanyu Wave, your Chinese vocabulary will be mastered. ––––––– If you subscribe to the Hanyu Wave Pass (Premium), you can access all features and courses. Once you subscribe, your subscription is automatically renewed. If you want to cancel your subscription, you can turn off auto-renew option in your 'Apple ID' in 'Settings' 24 hours before the end of the subscription period. Privacy https://hanyuwave.com/en/privacy Terms and Conditions https://hanyuwave.com/en/terms

Screenshots

HSK Study and Exam4 screens
Hanyu Wave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HSK Study and Exam at 4.7 against Hanyu Wave's 4.0. HSK Study and Exam also leads on ratings volume (1.1K vs 4). Hanyu Wave's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. HSK Study and Exam sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per month and Hanyu Wave sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HSK Study and Exam holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HSK Study and Exam has 1.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of HSK Study and Exam'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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HSK Study and Exam ships an update fortnightly, Hanyu Wave weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HSK Study and Exam versus Hanyu Wave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHSK Study and ExamHanyu Wave
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.1K ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews73.6% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better4
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShanghai Yuxuan Information Technology Co. , LtdKyungil Choi

Customer experience

HSK Study and Exam

All ratings1,034 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews588 reviews
Positive73.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative18.7%

Hanyu Wave

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

HSK Study and Exam

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Freezing during mock tests and lessons
  • Inability to log in or access purchased content
  • Incorrect or missing translations
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices
  • Unreliable audio playback

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve iPad support and landscape mode
  • Provide more detailed grammar explanations
  • Integrate traditional Chinese character support
  • Enhance offline functionality

Hanyu Wave

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

HSK Study and Exam

Subscriptions3
  • HSKOnline vip renew 118$15.991 Month
  • AI MAX 1 Month Package$24.991 Month
  • AI MAX 12-Month Package$79.991 Year
One-time7
  • HSK Online Membership 1 month$5.99
  • HSKOnline Lifetime VIP$29.99
  • HSKOnline Lifetime VIP$56.99
Show 4 more
  • HSKOnline lifetime vip plus 3$59.99
  • HSKOnline lifetime vip plus 2$74.99
  • HSKOnline lifetime vip plus 1$89.99
  • HSKOnline lifetime vip plus$109.99
4 purchases

Hanyu Wave

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Pass$1.991 Month
  • Quarterly Pass$4.493 Months
  • Yearly Pass$14.491 Year
One-time1
  • HSK Vocabulary$16.99

Questions

Is HSK Study and Exam free?
HSK Study and Exam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hanyu Wave free?
Hanyu Wave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HSK Study and Exam or Hanyu Wave?
HSK Study and Exam is rated higher. HSK Study and Exam averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Hanyu Wave averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do HSK Study and Exam or Hanyu Wave have ads?
Neither HSK Study and Exam nor Hanyu Wave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HSK Study and Exam or Hanyu Wave?
HSK Study and Exam ships an update fortnightly, and Hanyu Wave weekly. Most recently, HSK Study and Exam was updated on November 2, 2026 and Hanyu Wave on October 16, 2026.

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