Comparison

trainchinese 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

trainchinese

Learn Chinese with a comprehensive dictionary, flashcards, and OCR. Access example sentences, audio, and character animations. Supports both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, with customizable phonetic input.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive Chinese dictionary
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
  • Spaced Repetition flashcard system
  • Character animations and handwriting training
  • Support for Simplified and Traditional Chinese
  • Multiple phonetic input options (Pinyin, Zhuyin)
Features
Read full description

Learn Chinese with an amazing dictionary (plus OCR) and flash card system. trainchinese will teach you Chinese, with a free and complete dictionary, thousands of vocab lists, example sentences, audio recordings, measure words, character animations and Optical Character Recognition — not to mention a powerful flash card training system that even includes handwriting training! • Our dictionary prioritises commonly-used words and phrases above the obscure and obsolete, while example sentences and measure words (classifiers) provide crucial context to help you decide which Chinese word is the most appropriate translation. Other dictionaries just leave you guessing! • We've got Optical Character Recognition (OCR) too. Spotted some Chinese you can't read? Capture a photo of some Chinese text from a menu, book or sign, and the app identifies and translates the characters for you. • Search for words by part of speech • Mistyped a word? Helpful spelling suggestions get you to the right results fast. • Words feature both example sentences and measure words for nouns. It's time to move beyond "个"! And best of all it's all connected: tap examples and measure words to open them as full dictionary entries. • trainchinese is great for students: it includes more than a thousand vocabulary lists covering topics from International Relations to American Football Teams and more. Feel like something's missing? Users often get in touch to ask for lists on the topics they're studying, and we're happy to oblige! You'll also find lists containing HSK-level words (both old and new standards), plus TOCFL lists for students in Taiwan! • Highlight words with your finger for super-fast access to character animations, related searches and more! • Whether you're studying the Simplified (mainland China and Singapore) or Traditional (Hong Kong and Taiwan) variants, we've got you covered! Easily switch between them or choose to display both in dictionary results and on flash cards. Even better, you can use the phonetics you're comfortable with - choose from Pinyin with tone marks, Pinyin with tone numbers or even Zhuyin characters (from the BoPoMoFo system used in Taiwan). • Create flash cards with audio and animation from dictionary entries. Organise them into lists, and share them with friends (or students). • Our Spaced Repetition system ensures you'll memorize words for good. • Train your way: each card is available in four different modes to test different aspects of Chinese study. See Chinese, Pinyin or English and get tested on translation, and even compare your handwriting to a stroke-order animation side-by-side, synchronized! Or if you prefer, there's multiple choice training too (for a real challenge, try it in "Dictation" mode!). • Flash cards are saved on your device and synchronized with trainchinese.com, where you can also train with them and find more great content. • Add study notes to your flash cards - they're saved and backed up at trainchinese.com. Don't forget to check out our other apps (tap our company name in the App Store for more info): - Chinese Writer - Chinese Audio Trainer - Pinyin Trainer - Number Trainer - Chinese Challenges

About

Write It! Chinese

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

trainchinese4 screens
Write It! Chinese4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Write It! Chinese at every 4 days against trainchinese's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. trainchinese sells 13 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, Write It! Chinese every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
trainchinese versus Write It! Chinese: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertrainchineseWrite It! Chinese
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.3K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size328 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developertrainchinese B.V.Jernung

Bugs and requests

trainchinese

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when trying to move or add words to lists
  • Audio playback not working for some words
  • Writing recognition feature is unreliable
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between app and website

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to learn on multiple languages (e.g. English and Russian)
  • Improve organization and navigation of word lists
  • Implement more engaging learning games and activities
  • Allow users to easily add their own custom words and phrases

Write It! Chinese

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

trainchinese

One-time13
  • OCR Feature$4.99
  • 10 lists$8.99
  • 3 months$11.99
Show 10 more
  • 3 months + 10 lists$15.99
  • 6 months$19.99
  • 30 lists$19.99
  • 6 months + 10 lists$23.99
  • 3 months + 30 lists$25.99
  • 12 months$34.99
  • 6 months + 30 lists$34.99
  • 12 months + 10 lists$37.99
  • 12 months + 30 lists$45.99
  • 12 months + 60 lists$54.99
2 purchases

Write It! Chinese

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

Questions

Is trainchinese free?
trainchinese 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.
Do trainchinese or Write It! Chinese have ads?
Both trainchinese and Write It! Chinese show ads.
Which is updated more often, trainchinese or Write It! Chinese?
trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, and Write It! Chinese every 4 days. Most recently, trainchinese was updated on October 23, 2026 and Write It! Chinese on October 15, 2026.

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