Comparison

Pretalk vs Merry Mandarin

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

Head to head
About

Pretalk

Master a new language through engaging, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing with a friendly mascot. Track your progress, earn rewards, and connect with a global community to stay motivated.

Highlights
  • Bite-sized lessons
  • Speaking, reading, listening, writing practice
  • Mascot-guided exercises
  • Progress tracking and rewards
  • Global community and leaderboards
  • Real-world conversation preparation
Features
Read full description

Learn a new language — the fun way. Pretalk is the free app for learning English, Korean, Japanese, Thai and Mandarin. Build real speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills through bite-sized lessons designed to stick. Created by language learning experts, Pretalk prepares you for real-world conversations — whether you're learning for travel, school, career, connecting with loved ones, or just keeping your mind sharp. Why Pretalk? Learn with Bam. Our friendly mascot guides you through speaking, writing, and typing exercises that make practice feel like play. Track your progress. Set learning goals, build daily streaks, and earn playful rewards and achievements along the way. Stay motivated. Compete on leaderboards and learn alongside a global community of language learners. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Merry Mandarin

This app offers a comprehensive approach to mastering Mandarin Chinese, focusing on deep linguistic understanding rather than superficial memorization. It provides advanced tools for vocabulary, pronunciation, reading, writing, and real-world application, suitable for dedicated learners.

Highlights
  • Interconnected dictionary with radical breakdown
  • Spaced repetition system (FSRS)
  • Offline text scanner (Smart Scan)
  • Live speech transcription
  • On-device pronunciation grading
  • Interactive handwriting practice
  • Graded reading stories with native audio
  • HSK 1-6 courses and classroom features
Features
Read full description

Master Mandarin Chinese with a serious app built for dedicated language learners. Merry Mandarin is the ultimate tool to learn Chinese, moving you past basic parroting and into true fluency. Every word in our comprehensive Chinese dictionary comes with the exact detail, context, and nuance you usually only get from advanced language classes. Paired with scientific spaced repetition, you will finally remember the Chinese vocabulary you study. Most language apps treat you like a casual gamer, chasing quick streaks instead of real fluency. Merry Mandarin makes a different promise: we give you the depth, context, and rigorous tools you actually need to move from an absolute beginner to a genuinely advanced speaker. No limits, no shortcuts—just true linguistic understanding. Understand the Language, Don't Just Parrot It! At the heart of your study is a deeply interconnected dictionary that goes far beyond flat definitions. Whether you learn simplified or traditional script, pinyin or zhuyin, you can break any character down to its foundational radicals and see exactly when to use a word over its synonyms. Every phrase or example sentence can be instantly saved to your personal study decks. We power these decks with a modern spaced repetition algorithm (FSRS), tracking your memory retention and scheduling reviews precisely when you need them so you never forget what you've learned. Bring Your Chinese into the Real World! To help you bridge the gap between study and daily life, the app includes powerful, privacy-first utilities. Smart Scan uses offline text recognition to instantly decode characters from menus, signs, or screenshots—just tap any word to study it. If you are listening to a podcast or a live conversation, our Live Transcriber turns real-world speech into flowing, interactive text you can read and look up in real time. Perfect Your Reading, Speaking, and Writing! Fluency requires practice across all skills. You can refine your tone accuracy with private, on-device pronunciation grading, master your stroke order with interactive handwriting practice, or immerse yourself in graded stories tailored precisely to your current reading level. Every story includes high-quality native audio so you can listen along without losing your place. Follow a Guided Path or Study with a Tutor! For those who want structure, our HSK 1 to 6 courses offer complete modules packed with native-audio dialogues, shadowing exercises, and comprehension drills. If you work with a professional tutor or language school, our built-in Classroom features are entirely free. Your teacher can easily assign custom vocabulary decks and track your progress directly in the app. Your progress syncs automatically across all your devices, so you can pick up exactly where you left off. Stop memorizing. Start understanding. Terms of Use: https://www.merrymandarin.com/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://www.merrymandarin.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Pretalk4 screens
Merry Mandarin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Merry Mandarin at 15.5 against Pretalk's 18.6. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Pretalk sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Merry Mandarin sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Pretalk against 5.0 for Merry Mandarin. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pretalk ships an update every 2 weeks, Merry Mandarin every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Pretalk versus Merry Mandarin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPretalkMerry Mandarin
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size199 MB155 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHAHASAMMI LTDMerry Mandarin Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Pretalk

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Merry Mandarin

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Pretalk

Subscriptions6
  • Pro$3.991 Month
  • Monthly Pro$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Yearly Pro$24.991 Year
  • Yearly Pro$49.991 Year
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Merry Mandarin

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Premium Annual$116.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$294.99

Questions

Is Pretalk free?
Pretalk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Merry Mandarin free?
Merry Mandarin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pretalk or Merry Mandarin?
Pretalk and Merry Mandarin are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Pretalk or Merry Mandarin have ads?
Neither Pretalk nor Merry Mandarin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pretalk or Merry Mandarin?
Pretalk ships an update every 2 weeks, and Merry Mandarin every 10 days. Most recently, Pretalk was updated on October 30, 2026 and Merry Mandarin on November 5, 2026.

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