# Skritter vs MandarinUp

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MandarinUp at none against Skritter's 10. MandarinUp also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Skritter's advantage is ratings volume (824 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

MandarinUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skritter has 824 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Skritter ships an update monthly, MandarinUp every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Skritter | MandarinUp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (824 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skritter-write-chinese/id1370892114/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarinup/id6450726094/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **824** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 54 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Inkren, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/402280587) | [Mykhailo Osekretov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1601035195) |

## 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


### MandarinUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarinup/id6450726094)

Learn Chinese through daily typing practice, leveraging modern technology to avoid memorizing complex characters. This app offers a flexible way to study anytime, anywhere, even offline, fitting into a busy schedule.

**Highlights:** Learn Chinese by typing, Avoid character memorization, Practice anytime, anywhere, Fully functional offline, Modern technology approach

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skritter free?

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

### Is MandarinUp free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Skritter or MandarinUp?

MandarinUp is rated higher. Skritter averages 4.7 out of 5 from 824 ratings, while MandarinUp averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Skritter or MandarinUp have ads?

Neither Skritter nor MandarinUp shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Skritter or MandarinUp?

Skritter ships an update monthly, and MandarinUp every 4 weeks. Most recently, Skritter was updated on November 2, 2026 and MandarinUp 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.*