Comparison

trainchinese vs HSK Training

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

HSK Training

Features
Read full description

Get ready for the HSK exam with HSK Training. Practice real exam-style exercises for HSK 1–6, build daily vocabulary habits with spaced reviews, and track your level from beginner to advanced — all in one focused app. HSK LEVEL TEST Not sure where to start? Take a placement test aligned with the new HSK standard (HSK 3.0). About 3 minutes, exam-style questions, no account required. We'll recommend the right level so you practice where it counts. EXAM-STYLE PRACTICE Train for every part of the HSK — listening, reading, and writing — with drills that match the official exam format. • Instant scoring and clear explanations after every answer • AI-graded writing so you know how your answers stack up • Focus on your weakest sections and improve where it matters most • Timed practice that feels like the real test LEARN VOCABULARY EVERY DAY Short daily sessions make HSK vocabulary stick. • Spaced repetition so reviews land before you forget • Official HSK word lists by level • Unit path with checkpoints as you progress • Streaks, daily goals, and XP to keep the habit going DICTIONARY & GRAMMAR Look up every HSK word and grammar pattern in one place. • Search by hanzi, pinyin, or meaning • Browse by HSK level • Jump from a word into practice so you use what you learn TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See how you're improving at a glance. • Accuracy over time and 30-day practice rollups • Weakest-part recommendations for what to do next • Milestones and mastery toward your HSK level • Share your profile and streak with friends BUILT FOR REAL STUDY • HSK 1 through 6 (plus higher-band vocabulary where available) • Light and dark themes • Sign in with Google or email — sync progress across devices • Clean, focused design so you spend time studying, not navigating Whether you're starting HSK 1 or polishing HSK 6, HSK Training helps you practice smarter: real exam formats, daily vocab that sticks, and a clear path to your next level. Find your HSK level in minutes.

Screenshots

trainchinese4 screens
HSK Training4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: trainchinese at 4.7 against HSK Training's 4.0. trainchinese also leads on ratings volume (2.4K vs 1). HSK Training's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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 10 one-off in-app purchases. HSK Training asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

trainchinese holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, HSK Training every 9 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
trainchinese versus HSK Training: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertrainchineseHSK Training
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.4K ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.4K — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size328 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developertrainchinese B.V.joze kosmerl

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

HSK Training

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

trainchinese

One-time10
  • OCR Feature$4.99
  • 3 months$11.99
  • 3 months + 10 lists$15.99
Show 7 more
  • 6 months$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 + 60 lists$54.99
None

HSK Training

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is trainchinese free?
trainchinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HSK Training free?
HSK Training is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, trainchinese or HSK Training?
trainchinese is rated higher. trainchinese averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while HSK Training averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do trainchinese or HSK Training have ads?
trainchinese shows ads; HSK Training does not.
Which is updated more often, trainchinese or HSK Training?
trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, and HSK Training every 9 days. Most recently, trainchinese was updated on November 10, 2026 and HSK Training on November 10, 2026.

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