# Skritter vs Hanly

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hanly at free against Skritter's freemium. Hanly also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (99% vs 83%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Skritter sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Hanly sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hanly holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 825 and 415 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Skritter's written reviews are positive against 99% of Hanly's.

Skritter ships an update every 5 weeks, Hanly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Skritter | Hanly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (825 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skritter-write-chinese/id1370892114/reviews) | **[4.9 (415 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanly/id6741442324/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **825** | 415 |
| Positive reviews | 82.9% of reviews | **99.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 55 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Inkren, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/402280587) | [Artur Gorokh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1794204266) |

## 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


### Hanly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanly/id6741442324)

Learn thousands of Chinese characters efficiently by understanding their structure and origin. This app uses visual breakdowns, engaging stories, and interactive elements to build an intuitive grasp of characters and aid memorization. It focuses on frequently used vocabulary and offers a structured learning progression.

**Highlights:** Character etymology and mnemonics, Interactive component exploration, Structured learning progression, Spaced repetition system, Extensive character dictionary, Stroke order animations

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hanly Premium | $5.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and efficient way to learn characters
- 🚀 Effective learning method that builds on prior knowledge
- 💡 Helpful mnemonics and stories to aid memorization
- 👍 Customizable learning pace and progress tracking
- 🚀 Comprehensive coverage of characters and components

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some AI-generated illustrations could be improved
- 💡 Addition of writing practice and example sentences would be helpful

**Reported bugs**

- No known major bugs reported

**Requested features**

- Addition of writing practice for characters
- Inclusion of example sentences for each character
- Expansion of content to cover more advanced vocabulary


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skritter free?

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

### Is Hanly free?

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

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

Hanly is rated higher. Skritter averages 4.7 out of 5 from 825 ratings, while Hanly averages 4.9 from 415 ratings.

### Do Skritter or Hanly have ads?

Neither Skritter nor Hanly shows ads.

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

Skritter ships an update every 5 weeks, and Hanly every 2 weeks. Most recently, Skritter was updated on November 10, 2026 and Hanly on November 8, 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.*