# Read Bean vs Hanly

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hanly at free against Read Bean's free with in-app purchases. Hanly also leads on review sentiment (99% vs 91%). Read Bean's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Read Bean sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Hanly sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Read Bean against 4.9 for Hanly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 369 and 357 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Read Bean's written reviews are positive against 99% of Hanly's.

Read Bean ships an update weekly, Hanly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Read Bean | Hanly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (369 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-bean/id6736993989/reviews) | [4.9 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanly/id6741442324/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **369** | 357 |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews | **99.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 113 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Refond, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1774270517) | [Artur Gorokh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1794204266) |

## What reviewers say

### Read Bean

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-bean/id6736993989)

Master Chinese with authentic, graded readings and interactive exercises. Tailored lessons adapt to your HSK level, offering vocabulary drills, grammar practice, and AI-powered speaking roleplays. Get instant translation and pronunciation support.

**Highlights:** Authentic graded readings, HSK 1-6 level adaptation, Interactive drills and exercises, AI-powered speaking roleplays, On-demand translation and pronunciation, Spaced repetition flashcards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| 6 Month Premium | $79.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive UI
- 🚀 Effective learning experience
- 💡 Relevant and engaging content
- 🎉 Helps improve reading comprehension
- 🌟 Better than Duolingo

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Design issues on iPad
- 🔍 Auto-correct issues when searching

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- Full-screen mode for iPad
- Ability to use reading assistance on any website


### Hanly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanly/id6741442324)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hanly Premium | $5.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and efficient way to learn characters
- 🚀 Effective learning method that builds on prior knowledge
- 💡 Helpful mnemonics and stories to aid memorization
- 👍 Customizable learning pace and progress tracking
- 🚀 Comprehensive coverage of characters and components

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some AI-generated illustrations could be improved
- 💡 Addition of writing practice and example sentences would be helpful

**Reported bugs**

- No known major bugs reported

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Read Bean free?

Read Bean is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hanly free?

Hanly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Read Bean or Hanly?

Read Bean and Hanly are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 369 and 357 ratings respectively.

### Do Read Bean or Hanly have ads?

Neither Read Bean nor Hanly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Read Bean or Hanly?

Read Bean ships an update weekly, and Hanly every 2 weeks. Most recently, Read Bean was updated on September 20, 2026 and Hanly on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*