# Pinyin Typist vs Brainstorm!

The clearest difference is price: Brainstorm! at Free against Pinyin Typist's $1.99. Brainstorm! also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 15 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Pinyin Typist's advantage is chart position (#196 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Brainstorm! is free to download; Pinyin Typist costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pinyin Typist ships an update every 15 months, Brainstorm! every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinyin Typist | Brainstorm! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[2.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-typist/id443069995/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#196** | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TroubadourWorks](https://appshunter.io/developer/443069998) | [maxim oulitzky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1548517117) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinyin Typist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-typist/id443069995)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Easily type Pīnyīn with accurate tone marks using system or third-party keyboards. This app simplifies writing Mandarin Chinese expressions, even without knowing Chinese characters. It offers a quick and intuitive typing experience for learners and educators.

**Highlights:** Type Pīnyīn with tone marks, Integrates with system and third-party keyboards, Predictive text and text replacement support, Automatic tone mark placement, Easy tone mark correction, Copy and paste functionality, Supports Cantonese Yale romanization

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Brainstorm!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainstorm-creative-ideas/id6450509444)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinyin Typist free?

Pinyin Typist costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Brainstorm! free?

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

### Do Pinyin Typist or Brainstorm! have ads?

Neither Pinyin Typist nor Brainstorm! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pinyin Typist or Brainstorm!?

Pinyin Typist ships an update every 15 months, and Brainstorm! every 3 days. Most recently, Pinyin Typist was updated on September 1, 2026 and Brainstorm! on September 20, 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.*