Comparison

VerticalChinese vs Write Hangul Alphabet

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

Head to head
About

VerticalChinese

Explore classical Chinese literature with a beautiful, vertical layout and an integrated dictionary. Understand characters, toggle between traditional and simplified scripts, and utilize spaced-repetition flashcards to aid memorization. Features read-aloud audio and customizable themes for a serene learning experience.

Highlights
  • Vertical, character-by-character layout
  • Integrated dictionary with stroke order
  • Toggle Traditional/Simplified Chinese, Pinyin, English
  • Read-aloud audio mode with pronunciation
  • Spaced-repetition flashcards
  • Progress tracking
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

Write Hangul Alphabet

Features
Read full description

Learn to write the Hangul alphabet through guided handwriting practice. Write Hangul Alphabet is an educational app designed to help beginners develop confident Korean handwriting through structured tracing and repetition exercises. The app focuses on correct letter formation, stroke order, and writing accuracy to build strong writing habits from the start. Whether you are a student, parent, or self-learner, this app provides a calm and distraction-free way to practice writing Hangul letters clearly and confidently. Learn by Writing Writing by hand strengthens recognition and memory. With this app you can: - Practice Hangul letter tracing - Learn correct stroke order - Write Hangul letters from memory - Improve handwriting through repetition Each letter is presented clearly to support focused and consistent practice. Structured Alphabet Practice The Hangul alphabet is organized into progressive learning sets: - Basic consonants (자음) - Basic vowels (모음) - Double consonants - Compound vowels - Full Hangul alphabet review You can also practice individual Hangul letters at any time, making it suitable for short daily study sessions. Multiple Writing Modes Each letter includes different learning modes: Trace Mode — Follow the Hangul letter outline Guided Mode — Write with minimal visual support Memory Mode — Write independently without guidance This progression helps learners move from tracing to confident handwriting. Designed for Focus - Clean, distraction-free interface - Light and dark mode support - Calm, paper-like writing experience - Suitable for children and adults - No pop-ups or interruptions Privacy First - No account required - No ads - No tracking - No data collection All handwriting practice happens locally on your device. Who It Is For - Beginners learning the Hangul alphabet - Children learning to write Korean letters - Adults improving Hangul handwriting - Students learning Korean as a foreign language - Anyone preparing for Korean language study Build confidence in Hangul handwriting, one letter at a time.

Screenshots

VerticalChinese4 screens
Write Hangul Alphabet4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VerticalChinese at Free against Write Hangul Alphabet's $3.99. Write Hangul Alphabet's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 18 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases 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; Write Hangul Alphabet 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, Write Hangul Alphabet every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
VerticalChinese versus Write Hangul Alphabet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVerticalChineseWrite Hangul Alphabet
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 18 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.215.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDigital X Prairie LLCJelmer van Nuss

In-app purchases

None

VerticalChinese

No in-app purchases

None

Write Hangul Alphabet

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VerticalChinese free?
VerticalChinese is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Write Hangul Alphabet free?
Write Hangul Alphabet costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do VerticalChinese or Write Hangul Alphabet have ads?
Neither VerticalChinese nor Write Hangul Alphabet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VerticalChinese or Write Hangul Alphabet?
VerticalChinese ships an update every 18 months, and Write Hangul Alphabet every 5 days. Most recently, VerticalChinese was updated on October 28, 2026 and Write Hangul Alphabet on October 31, 2026.

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