Comparison

Stringboard Chinese Keyboard vs Hanly

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

Head to head
About

Stringboard Chinese Keyboard

Features
Read full description

WORRIED YOUR CHILD'S CHINESE IS SLIPPING? Stringboard turns Chinese writing practice into something they actually want to do. Start with a free 7-day challenge. One short mission a day, no pinyin needed. A GAME, NOT ANOTHER WORKSHEET Each daily mission teaches 3-4 characters through a walkthrough, then a game where they shoot down falling characters by typing the correct stroke order. Just 10 minutes a day makes all the difference. NO PINYIN. NO MEMORIZATION. Stringboard's stroke-and-radical keyboard works the way kids already learn to write. If they can write it, they can type it. Even 4-year-olds pick it up in minutes. TYPING IS WRITING PRACTICE Every character is typed by selecting the right strokes and radicals in the right order, the same skill they need on paper. Real handwriting reinforcement is built into every tap. BUILT FOR BUSY FAMILIES No extra tutors, no printing worksheets, no scheduling around an already-packed week. Just open the app after dinner or on the MTR home. CANTONESE, MANDARIN, OR BOTH Toggle between Traditional, Simplified, and Cantonese characters with one tap. Whether your child speaks Cantonese at home, Mandarin at school, or both, we’re here to support you. REAL-TIME FEEDBACK = INDEPENDENT PRACTICE Live stroke and radical hints mean your child can practice on their own. You're not coaching homework at 10pm anymore. FREE TO START The 7-day challenge is free forever, no card required. When they're ready for more, one subscription unlocks every lesson pack: the full Hong Kong P1–P6 Chinese curriculum, with unlimited practice. The Stringboard keyboard works across every app on their phone, and stays free for life. Loving Stringboard? A quick review helps other families find us! Need help? hello@stringboard.tech Video tutorial: https://youtu.be/zTGRsduVyoM Threads: @stringboardhk Instagram: @stringboardhk Privacy: stringboard.tech/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Hanly

Learn thousands of Chinese characters efficiently by understanding their structure and origin. This app uses visual breakdowns, engaging stories, and interactive elements to build an intuitive grasp of characters and aid memorization. It focuses on frequently used vocabulary and offers a structured learning progression.

Highlights
  • Character etymology and mnemonics
  • Interactive component exploration
  • Structured learning progression
  • Spaced repetition system
  • Extensive character dictionary
  • Stroke order animations
Features
Read full description

Chinese characters are not just random shapes - learn 1000 characters in months by understanding their structure and origin! Through visual breakdowns and engaging stories, Hanly helps you develop an intuitive grasp of Chinese characters and to efficiently remember them. Hanly starts with simple components and quickly builds up to complex characters, while focusing on the most frequently used vocabulary. CARDS THAT MAKE CHARACTERS COME ALIVE Etymology, memorable illustrations, mnemonics: we will provide the most helpful information to get a character to come alive in your imagination and stick in your memory for good. INTUITIVE INTERACTIVE UI Play with characters like they’re Lego blocks! Explore radicals, components, compound words, and character relationships - all just one click away! CAREFULLY OPTIMIZED LEARNING PROGRESSION Start with simple building blocks and naturally progress to complex characters. Our carefully designed levels introduce the most frequent characters early while maintaining coherent, meaningful themes. EXTENSIVE CHARACTER DICTIONARY & SEARCH Search by character, pinyin or meaning to find: - Character meanings and pronunciations - Usage in compound words and characters - Frequency and HSK level - Radical forms - Stroke order animations - Character evolution history SPACED REPETITION ENGINE INTEGRATED WITH THE UI Built-in spaced repetition helps you review characters at the perfect time, with review schedule optimized for how well you know a given character. Character progress is deeply integrated with the UI, so that you can spot the characters you are learning on any page. AND MANY MORE FEATURES! - Detailed learning statistics - Character etymology stories & fun facts - Explore characters & radicals sorted by their frequency - Personal note-taking system - Easily mark characters you already know Terms of use: https://www.hanlyapp.com/terms-of-use Privacy policy: https://www.hanlyapp.com/privacy-policy Contact us: We’d love to hear from your feedback about Hanly! Please send us an email with your thoughts and suggestions at tutu@hanlyapp.com

Screenshots

Stringboard Chinese Keyboard4 screens
Hanly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stringboard Chinese Keyboard at none against Hanly's 1. Hanly's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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. Hanly sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Stringboard Chinese Keyboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Stringboard Chinese Keyboard versus Hanly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStringboard Chinese KeyboardHanly
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (407 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—99.1% of reviews
Number of ratings—407 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size238 MB241 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperStringboard Technologies LtdArtur Gorokh

Bugs and requests

Stringboard Chinese Keyboard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Hanly

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • No known major bugs reported

Requested features

3 requests
  • Addition of writing practice for characters
  • Inclusion of example sentences for each character
  • Expansion of content to cover more advanced vocabulary

In-app purchases

None

Stringboard Chinese Keyboard

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Hanly

Subscriptions1
  • Hanly Premium$5.991 Month

Questions

Is Stringboard Chinese Keyboard free?
Stringboard Chinese Keyboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hanly free?
Hanly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stringboard Chinese Keyboard or Hanly have ads?
Stringboard Chinese Keyboard shows ads; Hanly does not.
Which is updated more often, Stringboard Chinese Keyboard or Hanly?
Stringboard Chinese Keyboard ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hanly every 2 weeks. Most recently, Stringboard Chinese Keyboard was updated on October 25, 2026 and Hanly on October 28, 2026.

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