# DDB Access vs Hanzi Pen

The clearest difference is rating: Hanzi Pen at 5.0 against DDB Access's 4.0. Hanzi Pen also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). DDB Access's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hanzi Pen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

DDB Access ships an update every 2 months, Hanzi Pen fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and June 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DDB Access | Hanzi Pen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddb-access/id1356043052/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-pen/id6769551367/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 278 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jean SOULAT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118405986) | [Alexander Knue](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896517402) |

## What reviewers say

### DDB Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ddb-access/id1356043052)

Access comprehensive Buddhist and Classical Chinese dictionaries with search, parsing, and pronunciation features. Ideal for scholars, it offers detailed character information and etymology.

**Highlights:** Search by Chinese, pinyin, or translation, Parse and lookup unknown words in text, View character etymology and series, Read texts and words aloud, Customizable user interface, Access to DDB and CJKV-E dictionaries

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hanzi Pen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-pen/id6769551367)

Master Chinese characters through guided writing practice with per-stroke feedback. Features spaced repetition, etymology, example sentences, and measure-word coaching. Supports HSK vocabulary and handwriting search.

**Highlights:** Guided stroke-order writing practice, Per-stroke feedback on writing, Spaced repetition system (SRS), Character etymology and decomposition, Real-world example sentences, Measure-word coaching, Handwriting search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DDB Access free?

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

### Is Hanzi Pen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DDB Access or Hanzi Pen?

Hanzi Pen is rated higher. DDB Access averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Hanzi Pen averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do DDB Access or Hanzi Pen have ads?

Neither DDB Access nor Hanzi Pen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DDB Access or Hanzi Pen?

DDB Access ships an update every 2 months, and Hanzi Pen fortnightly. Most recently, DDB Access was updated on September 8, 2026 and Hanzi Pen on June 25, 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.*