# trainchinese vs Chivoc

The clearest difference is ads: Chivoc at none against trainchinese's shown. Chivoc also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). trainchinese's advantage is ratings volume (2.4K vs 2) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. trainchinese sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Chivoc sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

trainchinese holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: trainchinese has 2.4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of trainchinese's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chivoc's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, Chivoc every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | trainchinese | Chivoc |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainchinese/id333830076/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chivoc-learn-chinese/id6798628242/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 328 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [trainchinese B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1443075140) | [佳 郭](https://appshunter.io/developer/6793565748) |

## 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 (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OCR Feature | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 lists | $8.99 | one-time |
| 3 months | $11.99 | one-time |
| 3 months + 10 lists | $15.99 | one-time |
| 6 months | $19.99 | one-time |
| 30 lists | $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 + 30 lists | $45.99 | 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


### Chivoc

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chivoc-learn-chinese/id6798628242)

Learn Chinese with comprehensive HSK vocabulary, Pinyin, character structure, and handwriting practice. Features interactive tools for pronunciation, listening, and engaging games to reinforce learning.

**Highlights:** HSK vocabulary study (11,000+ words), Pinyin and pronunciation practice, Interactive character structure exploration, Handwriting practice with stroke order, Listening comprehension exercises, Vocabulary reinforcement games, Grammar lessons with practice modes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chivoc Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Chivoc Premium 6 Months | $12.99 | per 6 months |
| Chivoc Premium Annual | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is trainchinese free?

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

### Is Chivoc free?

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

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

trainchinese is rated higher. trainchinese averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Chivoc averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do trainchinese or Chivoc have ads?

trainchinese shows ads; Chivoc does not.

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

trainchinese ships an update fortnightly, and Chivoc every 3 days. Most recently, trainchinese was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chivoc on October 25, 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.*