# Chinese Drill vs MENTAL STAR

The clearest difference is ads: MENTAL STAR at none against Chinese Drill's shown. MENTAL STAR also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days). Chinese Drill's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chinese Drill sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and MENTAL STAR sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chinese Drill ships an update every 6 days, MENTAL STAR every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chinese Drill | MENTAL STAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 183 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BeWise s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166472031) | [Sasagawa Yoshihiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475074070) |

## What reviewers say

### Chinese Drill

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-drill/id6445864902)

Master Chinese HSK vocabulary and phrases with a comprehensive learning tool. Features include a vast vocabulary database, interactive exercises, AI-powered grammar help, and character stroke animations. An integrated dictionary and error reporting ensure a polished learning experience.

**Highlights:** HSK vocabulary database (1-5), Learn exercises, flashcards, quizzes, AI grammar assistant, Character stroke animations, Chinese-English dictionary, Error reporting

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purchase 125k tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| Purchase HSK-2 vocabulary | $1.99 | one-time |
| Purchase HSK-3 vocabulary | $2.99 | one-time |
| Purchase HSK-4 vocabulary | $2.99 | one-time |
| Purchase the app and HSK 1 | $3.99 | one-time |


### MENTAL STAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mental-star/id6742699982)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FASTER and SLOWER | $5.99 | one-time |
| NO ADS | $9.99 | one-time |
| MORE WORDS in NEW and EDIT | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chinese Drill free?

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

### Is MENTAL STAR free?

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

### Do Chinese Drill or MENTAL STAR have ads?

Chinese Drill shows ads; MENTAL STAR does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chinese Drill or MENTAL STAR?

Chinese Drill ships an update every 6 days, and MENTAL STAR every 2 days. Most recently, Chinese Drill was updated on September 24, 2026 and MENTAL STAR on October 8, 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.*