Comparison

LearnStories vs Chitok Chinese

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

Head to head
About

LearnStories

Read full description

Learn Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Russian, and Italian through illustrated stories made for language learners. Tap any word to see its meaning, hear the pronunciation, and save it. Review saved words with spaced repetition flashcards so they actually stick. HOW IT WORKS 1. Discover โ€” Browse graded stories from beginner (JLPT N5, HSK 1, CEFR A1) to advanced 2. Read โ€” Tap any word for instant definitions, audio, and example sentences 3. Save โ€” Build your personal vocabulary list as you read 4. Study โ€” Review with flashcards using spaced repetition CREATE YOUR OWN STORIES Generate custom AI stories on any topic. Pick your language, difficulty level, page count, and art style โ€” get a unique illustrated story in seconds. FEATURES ยท Graded readers for 5 languages ยท Tap-to-translate with dictionary and audio ยท Vocabulary tracking and highlighting ยท Spaced repetition flashcards with context ยท AI story creation ยท Art styles: Storybook, Manga, Anime, Watercolor, Pixel Art ยท Offline downloads SUPPORTED LEVELS ยท Japanese: JLPT N5 โ†’ N1 ยท Chinese: HSK 1 โ†’ 6 ยท Korean: TOPIK 1 โ†’ 6 ยท Spanish, Italian, Russian: CEFR A1 โ†’ C1 Start reading today! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://learnstories.ai/privacy_policy

About

Chitok Chinese

Features
Read full description

Chitok helps English-speaking learners build practical Mandarin skills through short, focused lessons. Learn daily Mandarin words and Chinese idioms with clear audio, pinyin, English meaning, guided reading, speaking practice, and writing practice. Save useful words and idioms to your vocabulary notebook, then review them with a daily self test. Chitok is built for learners who want Mandarin that feels useful outside the textbook: travel, food, first conversations, everyday phrases, and real spoken practice. Features: Daily Word and Chinese Idiom lessons Listen, Speak, Read, and Write practice modes Pronunciation audio with normal and slow playback Pinyin, English meaning, and usage guidance Stroke-based writing practice Saved vocabulary notebook Daily self test for saved vocabulary Free users can try Daily lessons for three days. Chitok Pro unlocks continued Daily Word and Idiom lessons, pronunciation audio replays, full writing practice, vocabulary saves, and Self Test. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

LearnStories4 screens
Chitok Chinese4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chitok Chinese at every 9 days against LearnStories's every 5 months. LearnStories's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. LearnStories sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Chitok Chinese sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LearnStories ships an update every 5 months, Chitok Chinese every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
LearnStories versus Chitok Chinese: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearnStoriesChitok Chinese
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 9 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size48 MB152 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperZYAGA LLCXU ZHAO

In-app purchases

3 purchases

LearnStories

Subscriptions2
  • Reader Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Creator Monthly$24.991 Month
One-time1
  • 50 Pages$14.99
2 purchases

Chitok Chinese

Subscriptions2
  • Chitok Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Chitok Pro Quarterly$17.993 Months

Questions

Is LearnStories free?
LearnStories is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chitok Chinese free?
Chitok Chinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do LearnStories or Chitok Chinese have ads?
Neither LearnStories nor Chitok Chinese shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LearnStories or Chitok Chinese?
LearnStories ships an update every 5 months, and Chitok Chinese every 9 days. Most recently, LearnStories was updated on September 30, 2026 and Chitok Chinese on October 7, 2026.

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