Comparison

HamsterBase vs 紫毫

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

Head to head
About

HamsterBase

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HamsterBase is a tool centered around privacy protection and offline friendliness for use in later reading. The well-designed HamsterBase features the following characteristics: Offline First: It can be used offline without relying on servers.Privacy First: It does not collect any data and prioritizes your privacy.Keyboard First: Almost all features can be easily accessed via keyboard shortcuts.No Data Hijacking: You can store data locally and enjoy seamless API integration with other software.No Subscription Required: It’s free to use during the beta period.Break Device Limitations: Through P2P synchronization, your database can break free from device limitations.Powerful Full-text Search: Unlock the power of comprehensive searches, accessing the full content of every saved webpage. HamsterBase works with all your favorite apps, such as Logseq, Obsidian, Notion, and Siyuan.

About

紫毫

Features
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Hit the wrong key and get the wrong word? Picking a long sentence word by word? Ads, and wondering where your typing goes? Hare is a Chinese keyboard built on the Rime engine: it reads what you meant when a key slips, gets whole sentences right, and keeps everything on your device. No ads. SLIPS FORGIVEN • Touch-aware correction: a key hit off-center, a letter too many or too few, and the word you meant still comes first • What you typed always comes first when it is a word itself • A sentence-level language model gets long sentences right in one go, and learns the words you use • 9-key typing corrects slips too TYPE THE WAY YOU LIKE • Full Pinyin on 26 keys, 9-key (T9), Xiaohe Shuangpin and English, switched in a tap • Mixed input: type English words right in Chinese mode, with completions after a few letters • Simplified, Traditional, Taiwan and Hong Kong Traditional output FOR RIME USERS: RIME, AT LAST, ON IPHONE • rime-ice built in, ready to type • Wanxiang, Wanxiang Pro (Xiaohe Shuangpin with shape codes), Frost, Mint, Moqi, LufsX and more, imported in a tap from the recommended list; or bring your own scheme from a GitHub repository or a zip link • Shape-code filtering: tap 辅 and type a code to pick the character inside a word • Date, time, weekday and lunar-date shortcuts in every scheme • Add Pinyin word lists and phrase files to the scheme in use; search and remove what it learned MADE FOR FAST HANDS • Customize every key: swipe-up and long-press symbols, the keys beside space, the 123 key, 9-key punctuation • Swipe left on delete to remove a sentence at a time, up to bring it back; slide on letters or space to move the cursor • The 123 page suggests operators and shows the result of what you type • Text shortcuts, emoji suggestions, clipboard; email addresses and links stay in one piece • Hold return for a new line without sending; long-press for tone marks and more punctuation • Themes and background pictures; made for iPhone, iPad and the split keyboard on iPhone Duo PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Typing, correction, learning and suggestions all happen on your device; what you type is never uploaded • No ads, no pop-ups; the home screen counts characters, never what they were VOICE AND AI (HARE PRO) • Voice input without leaving the app you are in; speak over a playing video and its sound mutes for you • Live translation as you type • AI scripts: translate, polish, summarize, reply, plus fix and rewrite templates, or write your own AI features come with no built-in account or service: you choose a third-party model or translation provider and enter your own key. Requests go straight from your device to that provider, never through Hare's servers; phone numbers, ID and card numbers, email addresses and verification codes are hidden before sending and restored on the device. Without it, typing works as always. PRICE Typing, correction, learning, 9-key, Shuangpin, scheme import and text shortcuts are free, for good. Hare Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription: voice input, live translation, AI scripts, every theme and background picture, and sync across devices.

Screenshots

HamsterBase3 screens
紫毫4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HamsterBase at none against 紫毫's 1. HamsterBase also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). 紫毫's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. 紫毫 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HamsterBase asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HamsterBase ships an update every 2 months, 紫毫 every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
HamsterBase versus 紫毫: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHamsterBase紫毫
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB37 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer纯洁 林辉 王

In-app purchases

None

HamsterBase

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

紫毫

One-time1
  • 紫毫 Pro$9.99

Questions

Is HamsterBase free?
HamsterBase is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 紫毫 free?
紫毫 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HamsterBase or 紫毫 have ads?
Neither HamsterBase nor 紫毫 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HamsterBase or 紫毫?
HamsterBase ships an update every 2 months, and 紫毫 every 4 days. Most recently, HamsterBase was updated on October 30, 2026 and 紫毫 on October 31, 2026.

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