Comparison

Jinshu Reader vs Chengyu Calendar

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

Head to head
About

Jinshu Reader

This app helps English learners by automatically annotating unfamiliar words with translations and pronunciation. It also offers text-to-speech, spaced repetition flashcards, and customizable reading settings for an enhanced learning experience.

Highlights
  • Automatic vocabulary annotations
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Neural text-to-speech
  • Offline reading and playback
  • Customizable reading themes and typography
  • Import EPUB, PDF, Markdown, and web URLs
  • iCloud sync
Read full description

Jinshu is a level-aware EPUB reader designed for English language learners. Import any English book, see whether it is Comfort, Good Challenge, or Hard for your current level, then read with automatic vocabulary annotations — translations appear right where you need them, filtered to your proficiency level. Smart Vocabulary Annotations Words are automatically annotated with translations in Chinese, Korean, or Japanese. Choose your display style: ruby text above words, inline parentheses, or tap-to-reveal. Set your CEFR level (A1–C2), preview repeated above-level words before reading, and only see vocabulary appropriate for your stage. Tap to Pronounce & Listen Tap any annotated word to hear it spoken aloud and see a small IPA tip; open the full detail only when you want translation, replay, and vocabulary actions. Or let the app read entire chapters aloud with sentence highlighting, adjustable speed, sleep timer, and background playback. Works completely offline. A Reader You'll Actually Enjoy Five reading themes (Light, Sepia, Dark, Calm, Slate), adjustable fonts, spacing, margins, and text alignment. Everything updates instantly — no reload needed. Platform-native fonts: Charter, New York, Palatino, and more on iOS. Import your own .ttf or .otf fonts for a fully personalized reading experience. Vocabulary That Comes From Your Reading Saved words keep the original sentence from the chapter where you met them. A "From Reading" queue surfaces words you've actually encountered, ranked by how often they came up in your last 30 days of reading. FSRS-based review cards turn that queue into a small daily review — no curriculum, no frequency list, just your books. Your Library, Organized A smart bookshelf that puts your current read front and center. Organize books into collections, search by title or author, sort by recent, title, or author. Track your reading streaks and daily reading time. Home Screen widgets surface a daily word, a random highlight, or due reviews without opening the app. Highlights & Bookmarks Select text to highlight in five colors with two styles. Add notes to any highlight. Bookmark pages and jump back to them anytime. Search within chapters to find what you're looking for. Built-in Dictionary ~30,000 English words with CEFR levels, IPA pronunciation, and translations in three languages. No internet required for the bundled dictionary — everything works offline. Features at a Glance • EPUB 2 & 3 support • Vocabulary annotations in 中文, 한국어, 日本語 • CEFR level filtering (A1–C2) • "From Reading" candidate queue with source-sentence context • Offline word pronunciation & full chapter TTS with sentence highlighting • 5 reading themes + full typography controls + custom font import • Highlights, notes, and bookmarks • Collections and smart sorting • Reading streaks and session tracking • iPhone & iPad Home Screen widgets • Multi-book import with duplicate detection • UI in English, 中文, 한국어, 日本語 • No account required, no ads, fully offline reading FREE VS PREMIUM Free • 8 EPUB imports • A1–A2 / HSK 1–2 / JLPT N5–N4 / TOPIK 1–2 annotations • 50 saved words • 2 reading themes Premium • Unlimited imports — EPUB, PDF, Markdown, URL • All proficiency levels (A1–C2 / HSK 1–6 / JLPT N5–N1 / TOPIK 1–6) • Unlimited saved vocabulary • Anki export • 5 reading themes • Customizable read-aloud (voice, speed, sleep timer, background playback) • Custom font import • iCloud sync across devices • LAN transfer between your devices Plans: Monthly / Yearly / Lifetime Terms of Use: https://jinshu.built4.fun/terms Privacy Policy: https://jinshu.built4.fun/privacy

About

Chengyu Calendar

Learn a new Chinese idiom daily with a widget that mimics a traditional tear-off calendar. Explore idiom history, meanings, and usage examples. Supports both Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters and works offline without ads.

Highlights
  • Daily idiom widget
  • Idiom breakdown (character, pinyin, meaning)
  • Example sentences
  • Idiom history and origin
  • Simplified/Traditional character support
  • Offline functionality
  • Ad-free and private
Read full description

Build your Chinese, one idiom at a time. Chengyu Calendar puts a new Chinese idiom on your Home Screen every day, on a page designed after the traditional Chinese tear-off calendar. Glance at your phone, learn something new, and come back tomorrow for the next one. Chengyu (成语) are the short, vivid sayings Chinese speakers use every day. Each one carries a story, often centuries old, and knowing them makes your Chinese sound natural. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN The widget shows today's page, just like a real tear-off calendar: • The date, with the day of the week • The idiom, broken down character by character, with pinyin and an English meaning for each • What the whole idiom means • An example sentence, with pinyin and an English translation A new page arrives every morning. IN THE APP Tap the widget to open the full page and go deeper: • Its history: where the idiom came from, and how it came to mean what it does now • More examples: three more sentences showing how it's used, each with pinyin and an English translation TRADITIONAL OR SIMPLIFIED, 都可以! Switch between Simplified and Traditional characters at any time, and every page changes instantly. EVERY DETAIL, CONSIDERED Inspired by the Chinese daily tear-off calendar, Chengyu Calendar was designed to feel more like a physical object than a piece of software. Pages are printed in green on working days and in red on weekends and holidays, just like the real thing. SIMPLE AND PRIVATE • No account needed • Works offline • No ads and no tracking A page a day, made with care by a team of one. SUBSCRIPTION Chengyu Calendar requires a subscription, with weekly, monthly and yearly plans. Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm your purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before it ends. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID settings at any time. Terms of Use: https://chengyucalendar.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://chengyucalendar.com/privacy

Screenshots

Jinshu Reader4 screens
Chengyu Calendar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Jinshu Reader at free against Chengyu Calendar's subscription. Jinshu Reader also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Chengyu Calendar's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 75%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Jinshu Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chengyu Calendar sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Jinshu Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Jinshu Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chengyu Calendar's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jinshu Reader ships an update every 6 days, Chengyu Calendar every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Jinshu Reader versus Chengyu Calendar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJinshu ReaderChengyu Calendar
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (11 ratings) — better3.9 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size170 MB119 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer建锋 林Fiachra MacFadden

Customer experience

Jinshu Reader

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

Chengyu Calendar

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Jinshu Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Jinshu Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Jinshu Premium Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Jinshu Premium Lifetime$29.99
3 purchases

Chengyu Calendar

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Jinshu Reader free?
Jinshu Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chengyu Calendar free?
Chengyu Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Jinshu Reader or Chengyu Calendar?
Jinshu Reader is rated higher. Jinshu Reader averages 4.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Chengyu Calendar averages 3.9 from 8 ratings.
Do Jinshu Reader or Chengyu Calendar have ads?
Neither Jinshu Reader nor Chengyu Calendar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jinshu Reader or Chengyu Calendar?
Jinshu Reader ships an update every 6 days, and Chengyu Calendar every 2 days. Most recently, Jinshu Reader was updated on October 25, 2026 and Chengyu Calendar on October 26, 2026.

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