# Shadow Chinese vs Learn Chinese

The clearest difference is ads: Shadow Chinese at none against Learn Chinese's shown. Learn Chinese's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shadow Chinese sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Learn Chinese sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shadow Chinese ships an update every 2 months, Learn Chinese every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shadow Chinese | Learn Chinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-chinese-readle-mandarin/id6475353300/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **7** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 141 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Kin Fai Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/531306021) | [A-Type Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574889877) |

## What reviewers say

### Shadow Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-chinese/id1576096161)

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership Plan | $0.99 | per month |
| Lite | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Max | $4.99 | per month |


### Learn Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-chinese-readle-mandarin/id6475353300)

Master Mandarin Chinese with engaging stories and news articles tailored to your HSK level. Improve vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation through interactive tools and daily quizzes. Designed for learners from HSK1 to HSK4, it offers an immersive approach to fluency.

**Highlights:** Real-world news and stories, Vocabulary and flashcards, Pinyin and pronunciation helper, Instant dictionary and translation, Grammar explanations, Daily quizzes, Graded lessons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Learn Chinese: Premium | $12.99 | per month |
| Readle Quarterly Subscription | $44.99 | per 3 months |
| Learn Chinese: Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Readle Premium Lifetime | $249.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shadow Chinese free?

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

### Is Learn Chinese free?

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

### Do Shadow Chinese or Learn Chinese have ads?

Learn Chinese shows ads; Shadow Chinese does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shadow Chinese or Learn Chinese?

Shadow Chinese ships an update every 2 months, and Learn Chinese every 4 months. Most recently, Shadow Chinese was updated on November 3, 2026 and Learn Chinese on November 4, 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.*