# Skritter vs Chinese Character Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chinese Character Reader at none against Skritter's 10. Chinese Character Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Skritter's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (827 vs 2). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Skritter sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Chinese Character Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chinese Character Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skritter has 827 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Skritter ships an update every 5 weeks, Chinese Character Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Skritter | Chinese Character Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (827 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skritter-write-chinese/id1370892114/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-character-reader/id1513392042/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **827** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 55 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Inkren, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/402280587) | [Tsz Poon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462001466) |

## What reviewers say

### Skritter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skritter-write-chinese/id1370892114)

Master Mandarin characters through interactive writing practice. Learn meanings, readings, and tones with curated decks for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

**Highlights:** Interactive character writing practice, Learn character meaning, reading, and tone, Topic-based and difficulty-level decks, HSK 1-9 study decks, Stroke order guidance, Review mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skritter Premium (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Skritter Premium (1 month) | $14.99 | per month |
| Skritter Premium (1 month) | $14.99 | per month |
| Skritter Premium (6 month) | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Skritter Premium (6 month) | $69.99 | per 6 months |
| Skritter Premium (1 year) | $99.99 | per year |
| Skritter Premium (1 year) | $99.99 | per year |
| Skritter Premium (1 year) | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for learning and retaining characters
- 👍 Great interface and user experience
- 💡 Helpful videos and content
- 👍 Effective for writing practice and stroke order
- 👍 Customizable decks and learning options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync and loading issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Requires payment info upfront
- 🐛 Inconsistent character recognition
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues and unauthorized charges
- App freezing and crashing
- Syncing problems across devices
- Inconsistent character recognition

**Requested features**

- Allow creating custom decks and word lists
- Add Cantonese support
- Improve landscape mode on iPad
- Provide more detailed performance tracking
- Add ability to focus on specific problem characters


### Chinese Character Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-character-reader/id1513392042)

This app uses AI to instantly read Chinese characters aloud from scanned images. Convert books into audiobooks with a single tap, making learning and comprehension effortless. Simply take a picture, tap the detected text, and hear it spoken.

**Highlights:** AI-powered text detection, One-click text-to-speech, Book to audiobook conversion, Supports English and Chinese, Image scanning for reading

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skritter free?

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

### Is Chinese Character Reader free?

Chinese Character Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Skritter or Chinese Character Reader?

Chinese Character Reader is rated higher. Skritter averages 4.7 out of 5 from 827 ratings, while Chinese Character Reader averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Skritter or Chinese Character Reader have ads?

Chinese Character Reader shows ads; Skritter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Skritter or Chinese Character Reader?

Skritter ships an update every 5 weeks, and Chinese Character Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Skritter was updated on November 12, 2026 and Chinese Character Reader 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.*