# Jinshu Reader vs Chengyu Calendar

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Jinshu Reader | Chengyu Calendar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jinshu-reader/id6759705710/reviews)** | [3.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chengyu-calendar/id6813331921/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 170 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [建锋 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704174610) | [Fiachra MacFadden](https://appshunter.io/developer/1831200997) |

## What reviewers say

### Jinshu Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jinshu-reader/id6759705710)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jinshu Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Jinshu Premium Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Jinshu Premium Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### Chengyu Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chengyu-calendar/id6813331921)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


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