Comparison

Chinese Characters 汉字 vs Write It! Chinese

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

Head to head
About

Chinese Characters 汉字

Learn to read and write thousands of Chinese characters with detailed instructions. Access free dictionaries, OCR translation, and annotated news articles. Ideal for HSK and AP Chinese exam preparation.

Highlights
  • Writing instructions for 3000+ characters
  • Covers HSK and AP Chinese exam requirements
  • Free OCR for text translation
  • Free English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries
  • Annotated news articles for reading practice
Features
Read full description

- Writing instructions for nearly 3000 Chinese characters - Covers all and more characters than required in the official Chinese Proficiency Examinations (HSK levels 1 to 6), and required in AP Chinese exams administered by the U.S. College Board. - Free Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for Chinese text for easy translation, which is also free. - Free download of English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries for quick lookup - Links to the Chinese edition of renowned news sites such as New York Times, BBC and Reuters, with free Pinyin annotation to assist you read new words.

About

Write It! Chinese

Master Chinese characters with real handwriting recognition that teaches correct stroke order and provides instant feedback. Learn characters in context, build practical vocabulary, and practice both simplified and traditional forms. Ideal for HSK preparation and serious writing skill development.

Highlights
  • Real handwriting recognition
  • Correct stroke order teaching
  • HSK 1-6 vocabulary coverage
  • Simplified and traditional characters
  • Learn characters in context
  • Instant stroke feedback
Features
Read full description

Master Chinese characters the right way, with real handwriting recognition that teaches correct stroke order from day one. Most Chinese apps teach you to recognize characters. Write It! Chinese teaches you to produce them from memory with instant feedback on every stroke. This is the difference between reading Chinese and actually writing it. WHY STROKE ORDER MATTERS Correct stroke order isn't just tradition, it's the key to: • Writing characters that look natural and balanced • Faster writing speed as you advance • Better character recognition in digital input methods • Easier memorization through consistent muscle memory • Understanding how complex characters are built from simpler components Write It! Chinese corrects your stroke order in real-time, so you develop proper technique before bad habits form. REAL HANDWRITING RECOGNITION Not tracing. Not multiple choice. Actual writing practice with immediate feedback. Our technology analyzes your handwriting stroke-by-stroke, detecting errors instantly and guiding you to write characters the way native writers do. Every stroke matters, and we'll let you know if it's wrong. COMPREHENSIVE HSK COVERAGE Progress from beginner to advanced with characters organized by HSK level: • HSK 1-6 vocabulary fully supported • Learn characters in context with complete words • Master both simplified and traditional character forms • Build from basic strokes to complex characters systematically Perfect for students preparing for the HSK exam or anyone building serious Chinese writing skills. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Core Character Skills: • All basic strokes and stroke order principles • Radicals and character components • Proper character structure and balance • Stroke direction and sequence rules Practical Vocabulary: Move beyond isolated characters to real words and phrases used in daily Chinese. Build vocabulary that actually matters. Both Writing Systems: Switch seamlessly between simplified characters (mainland China) and traditional characters (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau). WHO WRITE IT! CHINESE IS FOR • HSK test preparation (all levels) • University students taking Chinese courses • Travelers wanting to read signs and menus • Heritage speakers reconnecting with written Chinese • Anyone serious about learning to write, not just recognize, characters • Beginners starting from stroke basics • Advanced learners refining their technique THE DIFFERENCE IS IMMEDIATE From your very first character, you'll feel the difference between passive recognition and active production. Our handwriting recognition provides instant correction on every stroke, something paper practice can't do. You're not just memorizing shapes. You're building muscle memory that makes writing feel natural and automatic. Whether you're starting with basic strokes or mastering complex characters for HSK 6, Write It! Chinese gives you the deliberate practice that transforms recognition into real ability. BUILT FOR SERIOUS LEARNERS No gimmicks. No gamification that gets in the way. Just focused, effective practice that respects your time and helps you improve faster. The character stroke order animations show you the authentic way native writers produce characters. The recognition system holds you to that standard, because proper technique matters. Start writing your first Chinese characters in minutes. Perfect for self-learners, classroom students, and anyone who's tired of apps that teach you to read but not to write. Download Write It! Chinese and discover the difference that real handwriting practice makes. Your journey to Chinese writing mastery starts now. Privacy Policy: https://jernung.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://jernung.com/terms

Screenshots

Chinese Characters 汉字4 screens
Write It! Chinese4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Chinese Characters 汉字 at none against Write It! Chinese's shown. Chinese Characters 汉字 also leads on ratings volume (295 vs 3). Write It! Chinese's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Chinese Characters 汉字 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Write It! Chinese sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Write It! Chinese holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chinese Characters 汉字 has 295 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chinese Characters 汉字 ships an update every 10 days, Write It! Chinese every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chinese Characters 汉字 versus Write It! Chinese: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChinese Characters 汉字Write It! Chinese
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (295 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings295 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYOYASOFT LLCJernung

Customer experience

Chinese Characters 汉字

All ratings295 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral18.8%
Negative6.3%

Write It! Chinese

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Chinese Characters 汉字

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sound icon in journal not working
  • Traditional characters not showing up
  • Tracing feature lines snap and go haywire
  • Tracing lines stop mid-trace and stretch across screen

Requested features

12 requests
  • Allow searching by tones (e.g., zhong1)
  • Include pronunciation and Pinyin in journal saves
  • Improve tracing feature with simpler stroke fonts
  • Enable switching to traditional characters
  • Support handwriting practice in Traditional characters
Show 7 more
  • Add option to correct writing more accurately
  • Remove or disable background picture
  • Allow zooming in/out of character grid
  • Show words in sentences when clicked
  • Make search feature take user to character location in scroll
  • Label character locations more specifically than HSK level
  • Create an app for Japanese characters

Write It! Chinese

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Chinese Characters 汉字

One-time3
  • MDBG DictionaryFree
  • English-Chinese DictionaryFree
  • Advanced Chinese Characters$12.99
2 purchases

Write It! Chinese

Subscriptions2
  • Write It! Pro$9.991 Month
  • Write It! Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Chinese Characters 汉字 free?
Chinese Characters 汉字 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Write It! Chinese free?
Write It! Chinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chinese Characters 汉字 or Write It! Chinese?
Write It! Chinese is rated higher. Chinese Characters 汉字 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 295 ratings, while Write It! Chinese averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Chinese Characters 汉字 or Write It! Chinese have ads?
Write It! Chinese shows ads; Chinese Characters 汉字 does not.
Which is updated more often, Chinese Characters 汉字 or Write It! Chinese?
Chinese Characters 汉字 ships an update every 10 days, and Write It! Chinese every 3 days. Most recently, Chinese Characters 汉字 was updated on November 13, 2026 and Write It! Chinese on November 3, 2026.

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