# Read Chinese vs MandarinUp

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MandarinUp at none against Read Chinese's 1. MandarinUp also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Read Chinese's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 weeks) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Read Chinese sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MandarinUp asks for nothing beyond the download.

MandarinUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Read Chinese has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Read Chinese ships an update every 2 days, MandarinUp every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Read Chinese | MandarinUp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-chinese-learn-mandarin/id1663165662/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarinup/id6450726094/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 80 MB | 0 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vladislav Alikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603123547) | [Mykhailo Osekretov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1601035195) |

## What reviewers say

### Read Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-chinese-learn-mandarin/id1663165662)

Master Mandarin Chinese through engaging stories and phrases. This app offers voiced pronunciations, pinyin support, and detailed translations to enhance your learning journey. It's designed for users of all levels to build vocabulary and comprehension.

**Highlights:** Read Mandarin stories, Learn Chinese phrases, Phrases sorted by HSK level, Voiced pronunciations, Pinyin representation, Sentence and word translation, Free to use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### MandarinUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarinup/id6450726094)

Learn Chinese through daily typing practice, leveraging modern technology to avoid memorizing complex characters. This app offers a flexible way to study anytime, anywhere, even offline, fitting into a busy schedule.

**Highlights:** Learn Chinese by typing, Avoid character memorization, Practice anytime, anywhere, Fully functional offline, Modern technology approach

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Read Chinese free?

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

### Is MandarinUp free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Read Chinese or MandarinUp?

MandarinUp is rated higher. Read Chinese averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while MandarinUp averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Read Chinese or MandarinUp have ads?

Neither Read Chinese nor MandarinUp shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Read Chinese or MandarinUp?

Read Chinese ships an update every 2 days, and MandarinUp every 4 weeks. Most recently, Read Chinese was updated on August 25, 2026 and MandarinUp on June 1, 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.*