# Mandarin vs HanSounds

The clearest difference is price: Mandarin at Free against HanSounds's $9.99. Mandarin also leads on iOS requirement (6.1 vs 17.6). HanSounds's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Mandarin is free to download; HanSounds costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HanSounds holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Mandarin ships an update every 8 months, HanSounds every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mandarin | HanSounds |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarin/id412881185/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hansounds-mandarin-starter/id6760903364/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 23 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [softhub](https://appshunter.io/developer/400014908) | [龙 程](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886529551) |

## What reviewers say

### Mandarin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarin/id412881185)

This app serves as a bilingual dictionary for Chinese language learners. It allows users to search for words in both English and Chinese, supporting pinyin input and both traditional and simplified characters. The dictionary is powered by the free CEDICT database.

**Highlights:** English to Chinese dictionary, Chinese to English dictionary, Pinyin input support, Traditional and simplified character support, Built-in database of thousands of words

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HanSounds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hansounds-mandarin-starter/id6760903364)

Learn Mandarin Chinese with a structured curriculum designed for English speakers. Master pronunciation, tones, and characters through animated guides and interactive quizzes. Build a strong foundation for fluency.

**Highlights:** Animated mouth diagrams for pronunciation, Tone and Pinyin visualization, Character study and quizzes, Progress tracking, Distraction-free design, English explanations

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mandarin free?

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

### Is HanSounds free?

HanSounds costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mandarin or HanSounds?

HanSounds is rated higher. Mandarin averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while HanSounds averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Mandarin or HanSounds have ads?

Neither Mandarin nor HanSounds shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mandarin or HanSounds?

Mandarin ships an update every 8 months, and HanSounds every 4 days. Most recently, Mandarin was updated on September 24, 2026 and HanSounds on October 10, 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.*