Comparison

LearnStories vs Tova Learn Chinese

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” 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 β€” Browse graded stories from beginner (JLPT N5, HSK 1, CEFR A1) to advanced 2. Read β€” Tap any word for instant definitions, audio, and example sentences 3. Save β€” Build your personal vocabulary list as you read 4. Study β€” 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 β€” get a unique illustrated story in seconds. FEATURES Β· Graded readers for 5 languages Β· Tap-to-translate with dictionary and audio Β· Vocabulary tracking and highlighting Β· Spaced repetition flashcards with context Β· AI story creation Β· Art styles: Storybook, Manga, Anime, Watercolor, Pixel Art Β· Offline downloads SUPPORTED LEVELS Β· Japanese: JLPT N5 β†’ N1 Β· Chinese: HSK 1 β†’ 6 Β· Korean: TOPIK 1 β†’ 6 Β· Spanish, Italian, Russian: CEFR A1 β†’ 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

Tova Learn Chinese

Features
Read full description

Chinese characters are not random. Most apps still teach them as if they were. Tova Learn Chinese teaches one character a day β€” and tells you the truth about how it is built. WHAT MAKES A CHARACTER About half of all Chinese characters pair a meaning component with a sound component. 妈 is not "woman + horse" β€” it is a woman meaning-part beside a 马 that is there because it sounds like mā. You see which is which, every time. THE PARTS THAT MEAN NOTHING Some components are decorative. Most apps invent a story for them anyway, because a story is easier to sell than a gap. We name them: "δΊΊ here is shape only β€” it carries no meaning in 茢." HOW RELIABLE THE SOUND CUE ACTUALLY IS A shared component often predicts the syllable and almost never predicts the tone. 什 gives you "ling" 86% of the time and the right tone 4% of the time. We show both numbers and tell you when not to trust the pattern. Tap any character in a family and hear it. WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW Where a character's origin is uncertain, the app says so. Traditional memory stories are labeled as memory stories, not presented as history. Where the real origin is known and surprising β€” ζˆ‘ was a bladed weapon, borrowed for its sound β€” you get the oracle-bone form to see it. THE DAILY LOOP Wake to one character. Trace it stroke by stroke. Say it, with tone feedback that tells you when the sounds were right and the tone was not. Spaced review brings it back and asks you to reconstruct the structure rather than re-read it. PROGRESS YOU CAN SPEND Not "90 characters learned". The building blocks you know, and how many characters each one still unlocks. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN Add the widget and today's character is waiting before you open the app: its reading and meaning, the word it is used in, its HSK level and stroke count, your streak, how many reviews are due and whether today is done. Lock Screen sizes too. WHAT THIS IS NOT Not a full course. It does not teach grammar or sentences, and it will not get you through HSK on its own. Pair it with a course app and a dictionary. This is the character layer β€” the one that does not make things up. HSK 1 is free: 179 characters. Pro adds HSK 2 to 6, another 2,484 characters, and unlimited daily drills. Terms of Use: https://tovatranslate.app/terms/

Screenshots

LearnStories4 screens
Tova Learn Chinese4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: LearnStories at none against Tova Learn Chinese's shown. Tova Learn Chinese's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. LearnStories sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Tova Learn Chinese sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LearnStories ships an update every 5 months, Tova Learn Chinese every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
LearnStories versus Tova Learn Chinese: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearnStoriesTova Learn Chinese
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 8 days β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS15.115.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size48 MB55 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperZYAGA LLCZHUOER TANG

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

Tova Learn Chinese

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$39.991 Year

Questions

Is LearnStories free?
LearnStories is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tova Learn Chinese free?
Tova Learn Chinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do LearnStories or Tova Learn Chinese have ads?
Tova Learn Chinese shows ads; LearnStories does not.
Which is updated more often, LearnStories or Tova Learn Chinese?
LearnStories ships an update every 5 months, and Tova Learn Chinese every 8 days. Most recently, LearnStories was updated on October 31, 2026 and Tova Learn Chinese on October 28, 2026.

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