# WriteChinese vs Zishu

WriteChinese and Zishu both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Zishu's written reviews are positive against 25% of WriteChinese's. Zishu also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WriteChinese sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Zishu asks for nothing beyond the download.

Zishu holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of WriteChinese's written reviews are positive against 80% of Zishu's.

WriteChinese ships an update every 7 months, Zishu every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WriteChinese | Zishu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writechinese-learn-to-write/id1510206953/reviews) | **[4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zishu/id6747624319/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **21** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 356 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shanghai Dazhuo Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470341377) | [Ben Morrison](https://appshunter.io/developer/329695258) |

## What reviewers say

### WriteChinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/writechinese-learn-to-write/id1510206953)

Learn the correct stroke order for Chinese characters with animated guides and pronunciation. Supports text recognition, offline lookup, and practice writing with error correction. Ideal for students and learners of Chinese.

**Highlights:** Stroke order lookup and animation, Pinyin annotation and voice pronunciation, Text recognition for input, Offline dictionary, Writing practice with error alerts, Simplified and traditional Chinese support

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


### Zishu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zishu/id6747624319)

Master Chinese characters with authentic stroke order and real-time validation. Progress through HSK levels with a smart learning system, practice modes, and pronunciation support. Track your progress and customize your learning experience.

**Highlights:** Authentic stroke order learning, Real-time writing validation, Smart three-stage learning system, HSK 1-6 character coverage, Guided and handwriting practice modes, Progress tracking and statistics, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WriteChinese free?

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

### Is Zishu free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WriteChinese or Zishu?

Zishu is rated higher. WriteChinese averages 4.5 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Zishu averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do WriteChinese or Zishu have ads?

Neither WriteChinese nor Zishu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WriteChinese or Zishu?

WriteChinese ships an update every 7 months, and Zishu every 6 months. Most recently, WriteChinese was updated on October 24, 2026 and Zishu on October 17, 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.*