Comparison

MandarinUp vs Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MandarinUp

Learn Chinese through daily typing practice, leveraging modern technology to avoid memorizing complex characters. This app offers a flexible way to study anytime, anywhere, even offline, fitting into a busy schedule.

Highlights
  • Learn Chinese by typing
  • Avoid character memorization
  • Practice anytime, anywhere
  • Fully functional offline
  • Modern technology approach
Features
Read full description

Learn Chinese simply by typing every day! Embrace modern technology without the need to memorize complex Chinese characters. Practice anywhere, anytime, even with a busy schedule. Fully functional offline.

About

Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine

Master Chinese Pinyin with this educational tool. It focuses on standard pronunciation, combining initials, finals, and tones. Practice individual pinyin sounds and their application in combinations.

Highlights
  • Standard Pinyin pronunciation
  • Initial, final, and tone combinations
  • Individual pinyin mastery tests
  • Pinyin combination application practice
Features
Read full description

A learning machine designed specifically for Chinese Pinyin learners: 1. Standard Pinyin pronunciation 2. Combination of initial consonants, finals, and tones for pronunciation 3. Test mastery of individual pinyin 4. Test the combination and application of Pinyin

Screenshots

MandarinUp4 screens
Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MandarinUp at none against Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine's 1. MandarinUp also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MandarinUp asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MandarinUp holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MandarinUp ships an update every 4 weeks, Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
MandarinUp versus Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMandarinUpChinese Pinyin LearningMachine
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews—85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings115 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMykhailo Osekretov薛峰 郑

Customer experience

MandarinUp

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

None

MandarinUp

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine

One-time1
  • Premium Version$4.99

Questions

Is MandarinUp free?
MandarinUp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine free?
Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MandarinUp or Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine?
MandarinUp is rated higher. MandarinUp averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do MandarinUp or Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine have ads?
Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine shows ads; MandarinUp does not.
Which is updated more often, MandarinUp or Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine?
MandarinUp ships an update every 4 weeks, and Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine fortnightly. Most recently, MandarinUp was updated on October 15, 2026 and Chinese Pinyin LearningMachine on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons