Comparison

VerticalChinese vs HanWords

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

Head to head
About

VerticalChinese

Features
Read full description

Vertical Chinese is a calm, beautiful place to read classical Chinese (文言) — and a built-in dictionary that helps you understand every character. Read the Daodejing, the Analects, Mencius, Zhuangzi, Tang poetry, Records of the Grand Historian, and more — 250+ foundational texts, laid out vertically and character by character, the way they were written. READ • Vertical, character-by-character layout with a steady pinyin gutter • Toggle Traditional 繁 / Simplified 简, pinyin 拼, and English 英 • 聽書 read-aloud (audiobook) mode, plus per-word pronunciation • Warm rice-paper design, with light & dark themes UNDERSTAND — a dictionary built in • Tap any character for pinyin, meaning, and animated stroke order • Full CC-CEDICT word lookup — search by character, pinyin, or English • Radical index to find characters you can't type • Example sentences with pinyin and English REMEMBER • Save any character or word with a tap • Spaced-repetition flashcards (練習) to review what you save • Track your progress from carp to dragon — 鯉躍龍門

About

HanWords

Features
Read full description

Description: Unlock the power of Chinese characters with our app designed specifically for English speakers. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to solidify your foundation, this app turns learning high‑frequency Chinese characters into an engaging, multi‑sensory experience. What you get: Audio Pronunciation for Every Character Hear native‑speaker audio for each character, so you learn the correct tone and pronunciation from the very first day. Common Word Combinations (with sound) Each character comes with real‑life compound words – tap to listen. You’ll quickly understand how characters form meaningful phrases used in daily conversations. Stroke‑by‑Stroke Writing Guide Learn to write characters correctly with animated stroke order and practice on your screen. Writing helps you memorize faster and builds muscle memory. Real‑Life Scenarios We focus on characters that appear in everyday life – from ordering food and asking for directions to shopping and social media. You learn only what you actually need. Who is this for? English speakers who want to learn Chinese efficiently Travelers, expats, or business professionals in China Self‑learners who need a clear, step‑by‑step system Features: 500+ most common Chinese characters (and growing) High‑quality audio for all characters & compound words Offline mode – learn anywhere, no internet required Quiz mode to test your memory Clean, distraction‑free interface Start your Chinese character journey today – download now and see how fast you can learn to read, write, and speak with confidence.

Screenshots

VerticalChinese4 screens
HanWords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VerticalChinese at Free against HanWords's $3.99. HanWords's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 18 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.2). On 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

VerticalChinese is free to download; HanWords costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VerticalChinese ships an update every 18 months, HanWords every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
VerticalChinese versus HanWords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVerticalChineseHanWords
PriceFree — better$3.99
Update frequencyEvery 18 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.216.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB6 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDigital X Prairie LLC龙 程

In-app purchases

None

VerticalChinese

No in-app purchases

None

HanWords

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VerticalChinese free?
VerticalChinese is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HanWords free?
HanWords costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do VerticalChinese or HanWords have ads?
Neither VerticalChinese nor HanWords shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VerticalChinese or HanWords?
VerticalChinese ships an update every 18 months, and HanWords every 3 weeks. Most recently, VerticalChinese was updated on September 20, 2026 and HanWords on September 9, 2026.

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