# CharacterMatrix vs Hanzi Trainer

The clearest difference is rating: CharacterMatrix at 5.0 against Hanzi Trainer's 3.0. CharacterMatrix also leads on ratings volume (9 vs 1). Hanzi Trainer's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CharacterMatrix sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hanzi Trainer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CharacterMatrix holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CharacterMatrix has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

CharacterMatrix ships an update monthly, Hanzi Trainer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CharacterMatrix | Hanzi Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charactermatrix-learn-chinese/id1644194033/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-trainer/id1644679705/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 110 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CopyBucket, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458817077) | [Ulrich Neymeyr](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619482197) |

## What reviewers say

### CharacterMatrix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charactermatrix-learn-chinese/id1644194033)

Master the 1000 most common Chinese characters with this comprehensive learning tool. It provides example sentences, pronunciation, translations, and character summaries to aid fluency. Explore traditional and simplified characters with customizable display options and audio playback.

**Highlights:** 1000 most common characters, Example sentences with translations, Pinyin pronunciation, Traditional and simplified characters, Audio playback, Customizable themes (dark/light), Search functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All 1000 Characters | $9.99 | one-time |


### Hanzi Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanzi-trainer/id1644679705)

This app helps users memorize Chinese characters using mnemonic phrases based on etymology. It offers training for reading and writing, targeted repetition, and detailed statistics to track learning progress. It includes thousands of characters and radicals for comprehensive study.

**Highlights:** Mnemonic phrases for memorization, Reading and writing training, Targeted repetition system, Detailed learning statistics, 4000 Hanzi characters, Radical training (Kangxi)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CharacterMatrix free?

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

### Is Hanzi Trainer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CharacterMatrix or Hanzi Trainer?

CharacterMatrix is rated higher. CharacterMatrix averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Hanzi Trainer averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do CharacterMatrix or Hanzi Trainer have ads?

Neither CharacterMatrix nor Hanzi Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CharacterMatrix or Hanzi Trainer?

CharacterMatrix ships an update monthly, and Hanzi Trainer every 2 months. Most recently, CharacterMatrix was updated on September 11, 2026 and Hanzi Trainer on September 15, 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.*