# Zishu vs ScriptPad

The clearest difference is rating: Zishu at 4.7 against ScriptPad's 3.0. Zishu also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 1). ScriptPad's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Zishu sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and ScriptPad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Zishu holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zishu has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Zishu ships an update every 2 months, ScriptPad monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zishu | ScriptPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zishu/id6747624319/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptpad-chinese-writing/id6761488149/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 67 MB | 406 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ben Morrison](https://appshunter.io/developer/329695258) | [Hugo Alberto Garza Jr](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885629260) |

## What reviewers say

### Zishu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zishu/id6747624319)

Master Chinese handwriting stroke by stroke with an offline tutor. Features an ink brush simulation, intelligent stroke detection, and spaced repetition for daily review. Supports HSK levels and custom character sets.

**Highlights:** Ink brush simulation, Intelligent stroke detection, Spaced repetition review, HSK 1-6 support, Custom character sets, Offline functionality, Native Mandarin pronunciation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Me a Tea | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy Me Xiaolongbao | $4.99 | one-time |
| Zishu Shifu | $9.99 | one-time |


### ScriptPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptpad-chinese-writing/id6761488149)

Master Chinese writing with animated stroke guides, interactive practice, and pronunciation comparison. Learn vocabulary through structured lessons and engaging games, all available offline. Create custom lessons from any text.

**Highlights:** Animated stroke-order guides, Interactive writing canvas, Pronunciation practice with recording, Structured vocabulary lessons, Gamified learning activities, Custom lesson creation, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zishu free?

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

### Is ScriptPad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Zishu or ScriptPad?

Zishu is rated higher. Zishu averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while ScriptPad averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Zishu or ScriptPad have ads?

Neither Zishu nor ScriptPad shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zishu or ScriptPad?

Zishu ships an update every 2 months, and ScriptPad monthly. Most recently, Zishu was updated on November 8, 2026 and ScriptPad on November 5, 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.*