Comparison

Big Dragon Chinese vs Pinyin Reader

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

Head to head
About

Big Dragon Chinese

Master essential Chinese expressions, idioms, and slang for everyday use. This app offers a shortcut to authentic language learning, ideal for intermediate to advanced students. Explore vocabulary through games and flashcards, with expanded content available in the paid version.

Highlights
  • Learn everyday Chinese expressions
  • Master Chinese idioms
  • Study Chinese slang
  • Word game for practice
  • Flashcard feature
  • Save favorite phrases
Features
Read full description

Big Dragon Chinese helps you learn those essential expressions and Idioms that used in everyday Chinese. Best suited for intermediate to advanced learners of Chinese Created by a long time learn of Chinese, giving you a short cut to learning authentic Chinese faster. Free Version: 10 expressions 10 Idioms 10 slang Word game Flash card feature Favourites Tab Paid version An additional 60 Chinese Idioms with examples sentences An additional 40 Chinese expressions with examples sentences If you find any mistakes or requests, please contact us at app@aspirecreate.co.uk

About

Pinyin Reader

This reading tool automatically adds pinyin annotations to Chinese characters on web pages and PDFs. It offers translation, text-to-speech playback, and pronunciation practice to enhance learning efficiency and pronunciation skills.

Highlights
  • Automatic pinyin annotations
  • Integrated web and PDF reader
  • Character definition and pronunciation lookup
  • Sentence-by-sentence text-to-speech
  • Pronunciation assessment and shadowing practice
  • Vocabulary and sentence saving
  • Ad-free reading experience
Features
Read full description

Pinyin Reader - A smart reading tool designed for Chinese language learners. Browse any Chinese web page with automatic pinyin annotations on Chinese characters. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, Pinyin Reader helps improve your reading efficiency and pronunciation skills. Key Features: SMART PINYIN ANNOTATIONS - Built-in browser that automatically adds pinyin to Chinese characters - Color-coded tonal pinyin and toneless display modes - One-tap toggle for pinyin display - Powered by a proprietary self-trained model for superior annotation accuracy HSK LEVEL FILTER - Choose your level, from HSK 1 to HSK 7-9 - Pinyin fades from the words you already know - Names, proper nouns and technical terms keep their pinyin - Works in Reader Mode, the PDF reader and the built-in browser - Applies instantly, covers 6,330 words, fully offline IMMERSIVE READER MODE - Ad-free, distraction-free reading experience - Adjustable font size, font style, and background themes - Tap any character to view definitions and hear standard pronunciation TRANSLATION - Translate page content into 108 target languages - Seamless translation integrated within Reader Mode PDF READER - Open local PDF files with automatic pinyin annotations - Translate PDF content into your target language - Tap characters for pronunciation and dictionary lookup - Outline navigation, text/pinyin search, and theme switching - Pinyin scales with the page as you pinch to zoom, sharp at any level - Never overlaps the text or clips tone marks LISTENING MODE - Sentence-by-sentence text-to-speech playback - Karaoke-style pinyin highlighting synced with audio playback - Adjustable speed (0.4x to 2.0x) for different proficiency levels - Current sentence highlighting for easy follow-along VOICE CUSTOMIZATION - Browse all Chinese speech synthesis voices available on your device - Preview each voice before selecting - Supports system voices and third-party TTS engines SHADOWING PRACTICE - Record your reading after listening to the reference audio - Intelligent scoring system for real-time pronunciation assessment - Continuous improvement of your Mandarin pronunciation COLLECTION & NOTES - Save vocabulary and favorite sentences for review - Add personal notes with color tags - Archive management organized by source page LEARNING GROWTH SYSTEM - Daily learning streak to build consistent habits - Customizable daily goals (5 to 60 minutes) - XP rewards for reading, listening, shadowing, reviewing, and collecting - 3 daily quests at starter, core, and challenge levels - 6 achievement milestones from first session to mastery - Share a redesigned card with streak, stats, vocabulary, and QR code - Optional daily reminders to keep your streak alive BOOKMARKS & HISTORY - Bookmark frequently visited pages - Automatic browsing history grouped by date - Search and batch management support MULTI-LANGUAGE SUPPORT - Interface available in 51 languages - Google and Bing search engine support PRIVACY FIRST - All data stored locally on your device - No registration or login required - No personal data collected Whether you're reading news, novels, or academic articles, Pinyin Reader is your perfect companion for learning Chinese. Download now and start your efficient Chinese reading journey! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Big Dragon Chinese4 screens
Pinyin Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Big Dragon Chinese at freemium against Pinyin Reader's paid. Pinyin Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Big Dragon Chinese sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pinyin Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Big Dragon Chinese versus Pinyin Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBig Dragon ChinesePinyin Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB135 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJason Eyermann粤珠 袁

Customer experience

Big Dragon Chinese

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pinyin Reader

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

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Big Dragon Chinese

One-time1
  • Unlock all features$1.99
2 purchases

Pinyin Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Big Dragon Chinese free?
Big Dragon Chinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pinyin Reader free?
Pinyin Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Big Dragon Chinese or Pinyin Reader have ads?
Neither Big Dragon Chinese nor Pinyin Reader shows ads.

Other comparisons