# Pinyin Trainer for Educators vs Skritter

The clearest difference is price: Skritter at Free against Pinyin Trainer for Educators's $2.99. Skritter also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 34 months). Pinyin Trainer for Educators's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Skritter is free to download; Pinyin Trainer for Educators costs $2.99 up front. Skritter sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Pinyin Trainer for Educators asks for nothing beyond the download.

Skritter holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skritter has 823 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Pinyin Trainer for Educators's written reviews are positive against 83% of Skritter's.

Pinyin Trainer for Educators ships an update every 34 months, Skritter monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinyin Trainer for Educators | Skritter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-trainer-for-educators/id511693142/reviews) | **[4.7 (823 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skritter-write-chinese/id1370892114/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **823** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **82.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 34 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 26 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [trainchinese B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1443075140) | [Inkren, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/402280587) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinyin Trainer for Educators

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-trainer-for-educators/id511693142)

Master Mandarin Chinese phonetics and tones with this comprehensive trainer. Features nearly 2,000 audio recordings, interactive exercises, and a built-in guide to the Pinyin system. Ideal for beginners and advanced learners seeking to improve listening skills and avoid pronunciation errors.

**Highlights:** Master Chinese tones and Pinyin initials, Nearly 2,000 audio recordings, Interactive tone sketching mode, Integrated Chinese-English dictionary, Complete Pinyin reading guide

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Skritter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skritter-write-chinese/id1370892114)

Master Mandarin characters through interactive writing practice. Learn meanings, readings, and tones with curated decks for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

**Highlights:** Interactive character writing practice, Learn character meaning, reading, and tone, Topic-based and difficulty-level decks, HSK 1-9 study decks, Stroke order guidance, Review mode

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skritter Premium (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Skritter Premium (1 month) | $14.99 | per month |
| Skritter Premium (1 month) | $14.99 | per month |
| Skritter Premium (6 month) | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Skritter Premium (6 month) | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| Skritter Premium (6 month) | $69.99 | per 6 months |
| Skritter Premium (1 year) | $99.99 | per year |
| Skritter Premium (1 year) | $99.99 | per year |
| Skritter Premium (1 year) | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for learning and retaining characters
- 👍 Great interface and user experience
- 💡 Helpful videos and content
- 👍 Effective for writing practice and stroke order
- 👍 Customizable decks and learning options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync and loading issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Requires payment info upfront
- 🐛 Inconsistent character recognition
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues and unauthorized charges
- App freezing and crashing
- Syncing problems across devices
- Inconsistent character recognition

**Requested features**

- Allow creating custom decks and word lists
- Add Cantonese support
- Improve landscape mode on iPad
- Provide more detailed performance tracking
- Add ability to focus on specific problem characters


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinyin Trainer for Educators free?

Pinyin Trainer for Educators costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Skritter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pinyin Trainer for Educators or Skritter?

Skritter is rated higher. Pinyin Trainer for Educators averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Skritter averages 4.7 from 823 ratings.

### Do Pinyin Trainer for Educators or Skritter have ads?

Neither Pinyin Trainer for Educators nor Skritter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pinyin Trainer for Educators or Skritter?

Pinyin Trainer for Educators ships an update every 34 months, and Skritter monthly. Most recently, Pinyin Trainer for Educators was updated on October 8, 2026 and Skritter on October 22, 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.*