Comparison

Read Bean vs Daily Hanzi

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

Head to head
About

Read Bean

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
Read full description

Master Chinese Through Real-World Graded Content — Read Bean Go beyond basic apps and textbooks. Read Bean is the ultimate tool for Chinese learners from HSK 1 to 6 who want to read, listen, and think in real Chinese — at a professional, cultural, and conversational level. Whether you're preparing for business, professional exams, or personal fluency, Read Bean transforms authentic articles, stories, and conversations into dynamic, personalized graded readings with mini vocab drills made just for you. Built for all learners HSK 1 through 6 Forget "beginner content" stretched thin. Read Bean assesses your exact reading and listening levels and instantly tailors every lesson to challenge you without overwhelming you. Improve fluency across real-world topics — from culture to commerce — with lessons designed to mirror how Chinese is actually used. Practice the Skills That Matter Learn actively with sentence structure drills, fill-in-the-blank questions, smart listening challenges, and comprehension boosters. Every question type is crafted to sharpen your grammar, expand your vocabulary, and strengthen your ability to read, write, and think in Chinese — not just recognize words. New: Interactive Speaking Roleplays Go beyond passive learning with Read Bean Roleplays — dynamic, voice-driven conversations that simulate real-life scenarios in Chinese. Whether you're ordering food, negotiating at work, or chatting with a neighbor, our AI-powered roleplays help you practice speaking naturally and confidently. You’ll get feedback, cultural tips, and just the right level of challenge to improve your fluency in a fun, low-pressure way. On-Demand Translation, Pronunciation, and Grammar Support Tap any word to see its meaning, pronunciation, usage notes, and common collocations. Explore grammar patterns, sentence breakdowns, and alternative expressions with a single tap. Your growth stays fast and natural — without endless dictionary lookups. Your Personal AI Language Coach Need a deeper explanation, a cultural note, or a memory tip for a tough word? Just ask. Our built-in AI tutor gives you personalized help in real time — it’s like having a Chinese teacher in your pocket 24/7. Spaced Repetition That Works — Flashcards Reimagined Reinforce everything you learn with smart flashcards powered by proven spaced repetition methods. Read Bean automatically tracks your progress and schedules reviews, turning short-term learning into long-term mastery. Achieve Your Chinese Learning Goals With Read Bean, you'll do more than memorize — you'll think and operate in Chinese. Whether you're aiming to work abroad, connect more deeply with Chinese culture, ace professional certifications, or simply enjoy native content without subtitles, Read Bean gives you the edge. What Our Users Say "I have a 1500-day streak on Duolingo. If I had to choose between Read Bean and Duo today, I'd choose Read Bean." — Lawson K., After 30 Days "Dropped my 500+ day Duolingo streak to make Read Bean part of my New Year’s resolutions. Huge fan now." — Gary N., After 5 Days Subscription Details Full access to all lessons requires a subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Your Apple account will be charged within 24 hours prior to renewal. Manage your subscription anytime in your Apple Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://readbean.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ CONTACT US: Questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@readbean.app

About

Daily Hanzi

Learn Chinese characters, pronunciation, and meaning passively throughout your day by viewing them on your phone's lock screen. This app integrates learning into your existing habits, making it effortless and sustainable for busy individuals. It offers a pressure-free approach to building familiarity with Chinese.

Highlights
  • Lock screen Chinese character display
  • Passive learning integration
  • Pronunciation and meaning on lock screen
  • In-app flashcards (subscription)
  • Background learning
Features
Read full description

Learn Chinese from Your Lock Screen* REQUIRES A PAID SUBSCRIPTION You check your phone 100+ times a day. Daily Hanzi just gives those seconds something to do. Unlock your phone and there's a character waiting, with pinyin, the meaning, and a sentence showing how it's actually used. Join 190K+ Chinese learners on the #1 Chinese lock screen learning app. Pick from 18 categories like Everyday Conversation, Chengyu, Food & Drink, and Business so you're always learning things you'll actually use. Sentences match your level, and notifications keep it going without any pressure. *LOCK SCREEN WIDGET AND IN APP FLASHCARDS REQUIRE A SUBSCRIPTION TERMS: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Read Bean4 screens
Daily Hanzi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Read Bean at 91% against Daily Hanzi's 17%. Read Bean also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Daily Hanzi's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs weekly) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 394). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Read Bean sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Daily Hanzi sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Read Bean holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 394 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Read Bean's written reviews are positive against 17% of Daily Hanzi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Read Bean ships an update weekly, Daily Hanzi every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Read Bean versus Daily Hanzi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRead BeanDaily Hanzi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (394 ratings) — better4.6 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews90.6% of reviews — better16.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3941.6K — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB172 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRefond, Inc.ALEX XINWEI LIU

Customer experience

Read Bean

All ratings369 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive90.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative3.1%

Daily Hanzi

All ratings1,526 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral5.4%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive16.8%
Neutral8.0%
Negative75.2%

Bugs and requests

Read Bean

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatibility with older devices

Requested features

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

Daily Hanzi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Read Bean

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Premium3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • 6 Month Premium$79.996 Months
  • Annual Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Annual Premium3 Days trial$119.991 Year
5 purchases

Daily Hanzi

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly Plan$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan (Special Offer)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan3 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Read Bean free?
Read Bean is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Daily Hanzi free?
Daily Hanzi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Read Bean or Daily Hanzi?
Read Bean is rated higher. Read Bean averages 4.9 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while Daily Hanzi averages 4.6 from 1.6K ratings.
Do Read Bean or Daily Hanzi have ads?
Daily Hanzi shows ads; Read Bean does not.
Which is updated more often, Read Bean or Daily Hanzi?
Read Bean ships an update weekly, and Daily Hanzi every 4 days. Most recently, Read Bean was updated on October 27, 2026 and Daily Hanzi on October 28, 2026.

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