# trainchinese vs Mencius

The clearest difference is ads: Mencius at none against trainchinese's shown. Mencius also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). trainchinese's advantage is ratings volume (2.4K vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. trainchinese sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Mencius sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mencius holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: trainchinese has 2.4K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, Mencius every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | trainchinese | Mencius |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainchinese/id333830076/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mencius-learn-chinese/id6780400560/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 328 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [trainchinese B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1443075140) | [Nathan Zhang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896682780) |

## What reviewers say

### trainchinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainchinese/id333830076)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OCR Feature | $4.99 | one-time |
| 3 months | $11.99 | one-time |
| 3 months + 10 lists | $15.99 | one-time |
| 6 months | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6 months + 10 lists | $23.99 | one-time |
| 3 months + 30 lists | $25.99 | one-time |
| 12 months | $34.99 | one-time |
| 6 months + 30 lists | $34.99 | one-time |
| 12 months + 10 lists | $37.99 | one-time |
| 12 months + 60 lists | $54.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for learning Chinese
- 👍 Helpful for improving vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing
- 🚀 Comprehensive dictionary and flashcard features
- 👍 Customizable word lists and training modes
- 🚀 Detailed stroke order animations for characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs after updates
- 💰 Subscription model is expensive for long-term use
- 🔍 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 🔍 Limited functionality in free version
- 🐛 Syncing and login issues

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Mencius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mencius-learn-chinese/id6780400560)

Master essential Chinese characters and vocabulary through spaced repetition and interactive exercises. Learn to read everyday Chinese with frequency-based lessons, writing practice, and real-world reading materials. Offers a free tier with core features and a premium subscription for advanced learning.

**Highlights:** Frequency-based character learning, Spaced repetition system, Interactive writing practice, Real-world reading passages, HSK level customization, Offline functionality, Home and lock screen widgets

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HanziHunter Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| HanziHunter Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| HanziHunter Lifetime | $199.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is trainchinese free?

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

### Is Mencius free?

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

### Which has better reviews, trainchinese or Mencius?

Mencius is rated higher. trainchinese averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Mencius averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do trainchinese or Mencius have ads?

trainchinese shows ads; Mencius does not.

### Which is updated more often, trainchinese or Mencius?

trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, and Mencius every 9 days. Most recently, trainchinese was updated on November 10, 2026 and Mencius on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*