# HeInput vs Chinese Writer by trainchinese

The clearest difference is rating: HeInput at 5.0 against Chinese Writer by trainchinese's 4.6. HeInput also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). Chinese Writer by trainchinese's advantage is ratings volume (385 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HeInput sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Chinese Writer by trainchinese sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HeInput holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chinese Writer by trainchinese has 385 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of HeInput's written reviews are positive against 83% of Chinese Writer by trainchinese's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

HeInput ships an update every 2 months, Chinese Writer by trainchinese monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HeInput | Chinese Writer by trainchinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heinput-chinese-study-and-input/id417876708/reviews)** | [4.6 (385 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-writer-by-trainchinese/id422248993/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **385** |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | **82.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 22 MB | 216 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Guilin Ouyang](https://appshunter.io/developer/417876711) | [trainchinese B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1443075140) |

## What reviewers say

### HeInput

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heinput-chinese-study-and-input/id417876708)

Learn and type Chinese characters and words with this app. It offers a step-by-step approach with practice modes for writing, typing, and phrases. Suitable for all learners of Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

**Highlights:** Learn Chinese characters and words, System input method integration, Step-by-step self-training, Phrase coding and article practice, Supports Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Code prompt and Pinyin search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Word and Phrase Coding | $1.99 | one-time |
| Extended HeCharacter Table | $1.99 | one-time |
| Speed Typing | $1.99 | one-time |


### Chinese Writer by trainchinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-writer-by-trainchinese/id422248993)

Master Chinese writing through an engaging game where characters fall from the sky. Tap and draw correctly to score points, or lose a life. Review learned characters with stroke order diagrams and personalized testing.

**Highlights:** Interactive character drawing game, Stroke order diagrams, Personalized review of difficult characters, HSK standard character packs, Customizable character packs, Audio recordings for pronunciation

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Additional Characters: 1B | $0.99 | one-time |
| Additional Characters: 1C | $0.99 | one-time |
| Additional Characters: 1D | $0.99 | one-time |
| Additional Characters: 1E | $0.99 | one-time |
| Additional Characters: 1F | $0.99 | one-time |
| Additional Characters: 2B | $0.99 | one-time |
| Additional Characters: 2C | $0.99 | one-time |
| Calligraphic font | $3.49 | one-time |
| All Additional Characters | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1 year subscription | $37.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for revising characters
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helps memorize characters
- 👍 Fun and engaging
- 👍 Effective for learning stroke order

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Issues with upgrading/unlocking content
- 🐛 Incorrect stroke order recognition
- 🐛 Limited time to view character information
- 🐛 Repetitive character selection

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to write certain traditional characters
- Syncing issues between devices
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Cantonese pronunciation option
- Allow creating custom character packs
- Implement a mode for learning words/phrases
- Improve randomization of character selection
- Add an option to write full words instead of single characters


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HeInput free?

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

### Is Chinese Writer by trainchinese free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HeInput or Chinese Writer by trainchinese?

HeInput is rated higher. HeInput averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Chinese Writer by trainchinese averages 4.6 from 385 ratings.

### Do HeInput or Chinese Writer by trainchinese have ads?

Neither HeInput nor Chinese Writer by trainchinese shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HeInput or Chinese Writer by trainchinese?

HeInput ships an update every 2 months, and Chinese Writer by trainchinese monthly. Most recently, HeInput was updated on October 6, 2026 and Chinese Writer by trainchinese on October 16, 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.*