Comparison

Speacher vs HanziBen

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

Head to head
About

Speacher

Features
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This app is currently only available for users who have been given login credentials as part of the Digital Empowerment in Language Teaching (DELTEA) research project. If you are participating in the DELTEA research project, you will have already been given a login for Speacher. If wish to join this research project, or if you just want to trial this app in your school, please contact us via our website (see app store listing for the website address). Speacher helps to improve your French and Spanish pronunciation using realtime AI feedback. Receive an in depth analysis and score of your speaking ability based on your articulation, intonation, and stress. Practice foreign sounds by copying native speaker videos and receive insightful narrative and visual feedback. Use our realtime intonation tracker to nail that perfect pitch. Enjoy expertly crafted guided lessons based on the latest scientific research for language learning and memory. New lessons every month! This app is currently being used for research as part of the ESRC funded Digital Empowerment in Language Teaching (DELTEA) project in collaboration with the University of Southampton and the University of Reading in the UK. Speacher was developed in-house at Niter Ltd in the UK.

About

HanziBen

Features
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Write Chinese characters by hand, then flip the card: Composition shows the parts, History shows seal script to regular script. HSK 3.0 Writing and Vocab, Radical Ben (100 radical families), Hanzi Ben, and your own My Hanzi list. Stroke order, etymology, offline. No account, no ads, no subscription. Pay once for Pro. HanziBen β€” Learn Chinese by writing, not by tapping. Other Chinese apps make you guess. You tap multiple choice. You match flashcards. You feel like you're learning β€” until you pick up a pen and your hand has no idea what to do. HanziBen flips that around. You write every character with your finger, stroke by stroke, on a generous practice canvas with elegant guides. That single change β€” moving from passive recognition to active production β€” is what turns short-term memory into permanent knowledge. The science is well established: motor memory cements characters in a way tapping never will. Why HanziBen is different - Handwriting-first, always. The canvas isn't a feature β€” it's the whole point. Every card is a chance to actually write the character. Stroke order, a faint Ghost guide, and on-device Check are built in. - Five curricula, one app. Hanzi Ben starts as a beginner path (pronouns, particles, then family, time, and everyday life) and continues through Society & World, Abstract & Advanced, and Mastery. Radical Ben teaches 100 radical families: the component first, then the characters that use it. HSK 3.0 Writing, HSK 3.0 Vocab, and your own My Hanzi list. Switch any time β€” progress is tracked separately in each. - Quick Access. 100 basic radicals (free) and the Survival Kit: 159 high-frequency connecting words (before, after, because, however…) grouped by what they do in a sentence. - My Hanzi β€” your own list. Type English, Pinyin, or characters (space-separated compounds work too). The app builds a practice list and shows unmatched words so you know what to retry. - Find any character - Type Pinyin, type English, use your voice, or β€” when you don't even know the reading β€” just draw the character and let the app find it. Recent searches keep your last lookups one tap away. - Flip the card, not a wiki. Composition shows how the character is built. History shows Seal Script, simplification, and frequency. Every card also has a short, hand-curated mnemonic, stroke count, and a mini dictionary β€” so each character becomes a small story instead of a random shape. - Built-in progress, streaks and milestones. See what you've mastered, what needs review, and keep your daily writing streak alive. Blindspots filters a deck down to what you haven't learned yet. - Made to live with. Paper-and-ink aesthetic, beautiful Chinese typography, light and dark themes, and five interface languages: English, δΈ­ζ–‡, Deutsch, EspaΓ±ol, FranΓ§ais. - Your progress, your data. Everything lives on your device. Export a full backup to a JSON file any time, restore it on a new phone. No account required. Free version β€” generous, not crippled Try HanziBen with the first 2 chapters of every curriculum, the 100-card Radicals deck, and a 10-character My Hanzi list. No timers, no ads, no nagging β€” a real chance to feel how the app works before you decide. Pro β€” one-time purchase, no subscription Unlock every chapter of every curriculum, an unlimited My Hanzi list, and full lifetime access. Pay once. Own it. Who HanziBen is for Beginners who want to start the right way β€” by writing from day one. Intermediate learners who recognise characters but can't reproduce them. HSK candidates who need the writing component locked in. Heritage learners reconnecting with the script. Anyone who has ever closed a flashcard app feeling like they didn't really learn anything. If you've tried "the big ones" and walked away frustrated that you still can't write δ½ ε₯½ without looking it up β€” HanziBen is built for you. Start writing today. The first stroke is always the hardest. After that, it gets surprisingly addictive. ζ±‰ε­—ζœ¬ β€” your Hanzi Notebook.

Screenshots

Speacher4 screens
HanziBen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Speacher at none against HanziBen's 1. Speacher also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. HanziBen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Speacher asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Speacher versus HanziBen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpeacherHanziBen
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 β€” better16.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size495 MB149 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNiter LtdBenjamin SZABO

In-app purchases

None

Speacher

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

HanziBen

One-time1
  • Hanzi Ben Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Speacher free?
Speacher is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HanziBen free?
HanziBen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Speacher or HanziBen have ads?
Neither Speacher nor HanziBen shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Speacher or HanziBen?
Speacher ships an update every 8 days, and HanziBen every 8 days. Most recently, Speacher was updated on October 27, 2026 and HanziBen on October 25, 2026.

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