# Pinyin Reader vs Ting Chinese

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pinyin Reader at none against Ting Chinese's 1. Pinyin Reader also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 18.0). Ting Chinese's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ting Chinese sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Pinyin Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Pinyin Reader against 5.0 for Ting Chinese. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Pinyin Reader ships an update every 10 days, Ting Chinese every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinyin Reader | Ting Chinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-reader/id6759076586/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ting-chinese/id6759806584/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 109 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [粤珠 袁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875136461) | [VINCENT YANG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880770727) |

## What reviewers say

### Pinyin Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-reader/id6759076586)

This reading tool automatically adds pinyin annotations to Chinese characters on web pages and PDFs. It offers translation, text-to-speech playback, and pronunciation practice to enhance learning efficiency and pronunciation skills.

**Highlights:** Automatic pinyin annotations, Integrated web and PDF reader, Character definition and pronunciation lookup, Sentence-by-sentence text-to-speech, Pronunciation assessment and shadowing practice, Vocabulary and sentence saving, Ad-free reading experience

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ting Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ting-chinese/id6759806584)

Master Mandarin with authentic Chinese podcasts and AI-powered transcripts. Tap words for instant definitions and pinyin, and track your learning progress. Download episodes for offline study and adjust playback speed to suit your pace.

**Highlights:** Curated Chinese podcasts, AI-generated transcripts, Interactive dictionary lookup, Adjustable playback speed, Offline episode downloads, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinyin Reader free?

Pinyin Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ting Chinese free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pinyin Reader or Ting Chinese?

Pinyin Reader and Ting Chinese are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Pinyin Reader or Ting Chinese have ads?

Neither Pinyin Reader nor Ting Chinese shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pinyin Reader or Ting Chinese?

Pinyin Reader ships an update every 10 days, and Ting Chinese every 4 days. Most recently, Pinyin Reader was updated on September 21, 2026 and Ting Chinese on September 18, 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.*