Comparison

Skritter vs Chinese Learning Assistant

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

Head to head
About

Skritter

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
Read full description

Remember every Chinese character you learn. Most apps ask you to recognize characters. Skritter asks you to write them, because writing is one of the fastest ways to make a character stick. When you write a character, you recall every part of it, so the next time you see it, you really know it. Self-studying or taking classes? Learn Mandarin with HSK, TOCFL and textbook vocab, in simplified or traditional characters. WRITE TO REMEMBER Recall each character stroke by stroke, with instant feedback on your handwriting and stroke order. Prefer to focus on readings and meanings? You can turn writing off any time. SPACED REPETITION THAT FITS YOUR DAY Our spaced repetition system (SRS) brings each word back just before you forget it, so you practice what is slipping and skip what you know. Daily reminders keep the habit going, and a few minutes a day adds up to thousands of characters over time. HSK, TOCFL AND YOUR TEXTBOOK - HSK 3.0 levels 1 to 3, with more levels added as they are released - Every HSK 2.0 level - TOCFL decks - Most popular Chinese textbook series, chapter by chapter, so you can study this week's words tonight 700+ DECKS AND GUIDED COURSES - The Skritter Character Course: learn how characters work and master 150 high-use characters - 100 Common Radicals: see how characters are built - Chinese Stroke Order: eight simple rules for balanced, readable handwriting - Hundreds more topics, with new video lessons added regularly - Or build your own word list in seconds. YOUR SCRIPT, YOUR WAY Study traditional or simplified characters, or both, with pinyin or zhuyin (bopomofo). THREE WRITING MODES Start with guided strokes and hints, move to freehand, then write whole characters from memory and grade yourself. SKRITTER PREMIUM - Personalized SRS reviews - Instant handwriting and stroke order feedback - HSK, TOCFL, textbook lists and 700+ official decks - Example sentences, tone practice and tips from expert teachers - Web, mobile and offline support - One subscription covers both Skritter Chinese and Skritter Japanese Privacy Policy: https://skritter.com/legal Terms of Use: https://docs.skritter.com/article/133-terms-of-use

About

Chinese Learning Assistant

Features
Read full description

The Chinese Learning Collection is designed to help you learn Chinese and includes the following features: - Chinese stroke order, learn the stroke order of Chinese writing - Chinese pronunciation, follow the standard Chinese pronunciation, learn the pronunciation of Chinese characters - Chinese copy, learn and practice Chinese characters with Chinese character watermark - Initial table - vowel table - Overall recognition - Tone pronunciation Easy-to-use Chinese characters learning is here! 【Chinese Collection Subscription Instructions】 ------------------------------------------------------- 【Monthly Member of Chinese Collection】 1. Subscription period: 1 month 2. Price $2.99/month 3. If you purchase a continuous monthly membership account, 24 hours before the expiration of each month, the fee will be automatically deducted from the iTunes account and the membership validity period will be extended by one month. 5. To cancel the subscription, please manually open the iOS "Settings" ----> Enter iTunes Store and AppStore ----> Click "AppleID", select View AppleID, enter the "Account Settings" page, click "Subscribe", Select Smart Album Monthly Membership to cancel the subscription. This subscription will be automatically subscribed if the subscription is not closed at least 24 hours before the end of the subscription period. 【Annual Member of Chinese Collection】 1. Subscription period: 1 year 2. Price $29.99/month 3. If you purchase a continuous annual membership account, 24 hours before the annual expiration date, the fee will be automatically deducted from your iTunes account and the membership validity period will be extended for one year. 5. To cancel the subscription, please manually open the iOS "Settings" ----> Enter iTunes Store and AppStore ----> Click "AppleID", select View AppleID, enter the "Account Settings" page, click "Subscribe", Select Smart Album Annual Member to cancel the subscription. This subscription will be automatically subscribed if the subscription is not closed at least 24 hours before the end of the subscription period. 6. Three-day free trial: renew or cancel the renewal during the free trial period, the free trial rights will not be recovered from the user, and the user can continue to try until the end of the period User terms: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10WNNF3C4VYB9BB07MOfbGFERuOIP-B-4RQtB8-PU838/edit?usp=sharing Privacy agreement: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zoN8WlmviUJ2k_l3CJ_VArsjTupitjR59ZC3EeMYtdI/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

Skritter4 screens
Chinese Learning Assistant4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Chinese Learning Assistant at 13.0 against Skritter's 15.0. On price, update cadence, 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. Skritter sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Chinese Learning Assistant sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skritter ships an update every 5 weeks, Chinese Learning Assistant monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Skritter versus Chinese Learning Assistant: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkritterChinese Learning Assistant
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (825 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews82.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings825 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInkren, Inc.鹏 陈

Bugs and requests

Skritter

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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 Learning Assistant

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Skritter

Subscriptions8
  • Skritter Premium (1 month)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Skritter Premium (1 month)7 Days trial2 variants$14.991 Month
  • Skritter Premium (1 month)14 Days trial$14.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Skritter Premium (6 month)7 Days trial$59.996 Months
  • Skritter Premium (6 month)7 Days trial$69.996 Months
  • Skritter Premium (1 year)7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Year
  • Skritter Premium (1 year)14 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Skritter Premium (1 year)7 Days trial$119.991 Year
2 purchases

Chinese Learning Assistant

Subscriptions2
  • Hanzi month$1.991 Month
  • Hanzi Year3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Skritter free?
Skritter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chinese Learning Assistant free?
Chinese Learning Assistant is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Skritter or Chinese Learning Assistant have ads?
Neither Skritter nor Chinese Learning Assistant shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skritter or Chinese Learning Assistant?
Skritter ships an update every 5 weeks, and Chinese Learning Assistant monthly. Most recently, Skritter was updated on November 6, 2026 and Chinese Learning Assistant on October 27, 2026.

Other comparisons