# VerticalChinese vs HanWords

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.

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

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | VerticalChinese | HanWords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 52 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Digital X Prairie LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1786193588) | [龙 程](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886529551) |

## What reviewers say

### VerticalChinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/verticalchinese/id6739588080)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HanWords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hanwords/id6762129339)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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