# 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy vs 练写字

The clearest difference is update cadence: 练写字 at monthly against 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy's every 6 months. 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and 练写字 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy against 4.6 for 练写字. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 25 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy's written reviews are positive against 79% of 练写字's.

活字帖 | Live Calligraphy ships an update every 6 months, 练写字 monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy | 练写字 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-calligraphy/id554212306/reviews) | [4.6 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1551589397/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **84.2% of reviews** | 79.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [哲 盛](https://appshunter.io/developer/554212449) | [学成 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/468307064) |

## What reviewers say

### 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/live-calligraphy/id554212306)

Practice Chinese brush calligraphy on your iPad or iPhone. This app uses original strokes from master calligraphers to help you feel like a true master. It focuses on character structure and offers various classic scrolls for learning.

**Highlights:** Practice Chinese brush calligraphy, Uses original master strokes, Focuses on character structure, Offers 8 classic handscrolls, Learn from ancient calligraphers

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Namo Amitābha | $0.99 | one-time |
| Confucius Passed Away | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ode to Qin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Heart Sutra | $0.99 | one-time |
| Thousand Character Classic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Timely Clearing After Snowfall | $1.99 | one-time |
| Poem of Fragrance | $1.99 | one-time |
| Basic Strokes | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lan Ting | $2.99 | one-time |


### 练写字

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1551589397)

This app generates custom calligraphy practice sheets using various templates and fonts. It supports beginners and advanced users in improving handwriting and calligraphy skills. Users can print or export practice sheets for offline use.

**Highlights:** Customizable calligraphy practice sheets, Multiple calligraphy font styles, Beginner to advanced training modes, Character stroke and structure practice, PDF export and A4 printing, Simplified and traditional Chinese conversion

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 练字写字(认字识字)月会员 | $0.99 | per month |
| 练字写字(练字大师)年会员 | $6.99 | per year |
| 练字写字(书法字典)永久会员 | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy free?

活字帖 | Live Calligraphy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 练写字 free?

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

### Which has better reviews, 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy or 练写字?

活字帖 | Live Calligraphy and 练写字 are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 45 and 25 ratings respectively.

### Do 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy or 练写字 have ads?

Both 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy and 练写字 show ads.

### Which is updated more often, 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy or 练写字?

活字帖 | Live Calligraphy ships an update every 6 months, and 练写字 monthly. Most recently, 活字帖 | Live Calligraphy was updated on September 21, 2026 and 练写字 on September 24, 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.*