# Pinyin Reader vs Speak Chinese

Pinyin Reader and Speak Chinese are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Pinyin Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Speak Chinese sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pinyin Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, Speak Chinese fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pinyin Reader | Speak Chinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinyin-reader/id6759076586/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 135 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [粤珠 袁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875136461) | [Dinh Thang Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/1769927807) |

## 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 (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual | $12.99 | per year |


### Speak Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-chinese-nowfluency/id6768614037)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NowFluency Premium Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| NowFluency Premium Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| NowFluency Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pinyin Reader free?

Pinyin Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Speak Chinese free?

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

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

Neither Pinyin Reader nor Speak Chinese shows ads.

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

Pinyin Reader ships an update every 2 weeks, and Speak Chinese fortnightly. Most recently, Pinyin Reader was updated on October 20, 2026 and Speak Chinese on October 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*