Comparison

El Markaba vs Hanzi Reader

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

Head to head
About

El Markaba

Features
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The Vehicle is an employment center dedicated to empowering young people by offering a wide range of training courses. Our goal is to help youth develop essential skills and prepare them to successfully enter and grow in the labor market.

About

Hanzi Reader

Features
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Can't read a Chinese character? Just snap it. Point your camera at a menu, a sign or a textbook. Hanzi Reader shows the pinyin, tones, meaning and HSK level of every word. WHAT IS HANZI READER A camera-first Chinese reader and word list for learners. Save the words you snap, learn 1,119 HSK words on picture cards, and turn any photo into a short Chinese lesson. SOUND FAMILIAR? • Looking up an unknown character by radical or stroke count takes forever • You know the pinyin, but not the tone • You know the words, but sentences still don't click • You study HSK words, but can't tell how many you have learned WHAT YOU CAN DO • Pinyin and meaning in one snap: every word gets color-coded tones and a short meaning in your language, read the way the context needs. • HSK level at a glance: a new HSK (2026 syllabus) badge on every word, levels 1–6 and 7–9. • Traditional characters too: read text from Taiwan or Hong Kong, with the simplified form alongside. • Hear it: tap a word to hear it in Mandarin. • Your own word list: save words with one tap and track your progress in each HSK level. • Photo Lessons: snap your coffee, your dog or the view outside, and get 1–3 simple Chinese sentences about it, with pinyin, word meanings and colored lines for subject, predicate and object. Listen, then review later as photo cards. • HSK cards: 1,119 words from new HSK 1–4, each with an ink-and-wash picture, pinyin, meaning and an example sentence you can listen to. The first 10 HSK 1 words are free. HOW IT WORKS 1. Snap Chinese text or pick a photo 2. Check each word's pinyin, meaning and HSK level, and save it 3. Snap anything in Photo Lessons and read about it in Chinese 4. Review with HSK cards and photo cards GREAT FOR • HSK test takers building their Chinese vocabulary • Travelers reading Chinese menus and signs • Learners of traditional characters and Taiwanese Mandarin • Beginners who want to read short sentences, not just words • Anyone who remembers words better with pictures FAQ Is it free? Scanning and Photo Lessons share one free use a day; your first 3 Photo Lessons don't count. Watch an ad for more. Free also includes 50 saved words, 10 photo cards and the first 10 HSK 1 cards. Do you keep my photos? No. Photos are not stored on our server, and your word list and photo cards stay on your device. Reading a photo needs an internet connection. HANZI READER PRO • Scanning and Photo Lessons up to 20 times a day • Unlimited words and photo cards • All HSK 1–4 cards, plus cards for your saved words • No ads The annual plan includes a 7-day free trial for eligible users. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Hanzi Reader Pro is offered as an annual and a monthly plan. Prices are shown in the app and on the App Store. • Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm the purchase. • The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Cancel at least 24 hours before the free trial ends and you will not be charged. • To cancel, open Settings > your name > Subscriptions on your iPhone. Terms of Service: https://shofj.com/en/apps/snap-text/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://shofj.com/en/apps/snap-text/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

El Markaba4 screens
Hanzi Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: El Markaba at none against Hanzi Reader's 2. El Markaba also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 months). On price 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. Hanzi Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. El Markaba asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

El Markaba ships an update every 3 days, Hanzi Reader every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
El Markaba versus Hanzi Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEl MarkabaHanzi Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB82 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMedhat MagedSho Fujimoto

In-app purchases

None

El Markaba

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Hanzi Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Hanzi Reader Pro$2.991 Month
  • Hanzi Reader Pro7 Days trial$28.991 Year

Questions

Is El Markaba free?
El Markaba is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hanzi Reader free?
Hanzi Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do El Markaba or Hanzi Reader have ads?
Hanzi Reader shows ads; El Markaba does not.
Which is updated more often, El Markaba or Hanzi Reader?
El Markaba ships an update every 3 days, and Hanzi Reader every 6 months. Most recently, El Markaba was updated on November 12, 2026 and Hanzi Reader on November 13, 2026.

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