# Mandarin Phrasebook vs TcmNote

The clearest difference is price: TcmNote at Free against Mandarin Phrasebook's $6.99. TcmNote also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Mandarin Phrasebook's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

TcmNote is free to download; Mandarin Phrasebook costs $6.99 up front. TcmNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Mandarin Phrasebook asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mandarin Phrasebook ships an update every 6 weeks, TcmNote weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mandarin Phrasebook | TcmNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Size | 32 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Qvyshift LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536442361) | [Yangguang Ma](https://appshunter.io/developer/670518380) |

## What reviewers say

### Mandarin Phrasebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarin-phrasebook/id6447997103)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### TcmNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tcmnote/id6755505071)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $1.99 / Month | $1.99 | per month |
| $19.99 / Year | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mandarin Phrasebook free?

Mandarin Phrasebook costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TcmNote free?

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

### Do Mandarin Phrasebook or TcmNote have ads?

TcmNote shows ads; Mandarin Phrasebook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mandarin Phrasebook or TcmNote?

Mandarin Phrasebook ships an update every 6 weeks, and TcmNote weekly. Most recently, Mandarin Phrasebook was updated on November 3, 2026 and TcmNote on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*