Comparison

CoreNotes vs Hanzi Reader

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

Head to head
About

CoreNotes

Features
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CoreNotes — Turn Anything Into Smart Study Notes CoreNotes helps students turn learning materials into clear, structured study notes. Add content from documents, web links, YouTube videos, voice recordings, textbook pages, lecture notes, or printed materials, and CoreNotes will organize it into study-ready notes. CoreNotes can help you create: - Main points - Key definitions - Simplified explanations - Important properties and details - Flashcards - Practice quizzes Study From Any Source CoreNotes is built for modern studying. Whether your material is a PDF, a website, a video lecture, a voice note, or a scanned page, CoreNotes helps convert it into something easier to review and remember. Use CoreNotes with: - Documents and PDFs - Web articles and links - YouTube lectures - Voice recordings - Textbook pages - Lecture notes - Printed study materials AI-Generated Study Notes CoreNotes analyzes your material and creates structured notes so you can understand the topic faster. Review the most important ideas without digging through long documents, videos, or chapters. Automatic Flashcards CoreNotes turns important concepts into flashcards for active recall. Use them to memorize definitions, formulas, terms, and key facts before exams. Practice Quizzes Test your understanding with AI-generated quiz questions based on your material. Use quizzes for quick review, exam prep, and self-testing. Built for Students CoreNotes is designed for students who study from many different sources. Upload a document, paste a link, add a YouTube video, record your voice, or scan printed notes, then get organized study material in seconds. Study faster. Understand better. Remember more. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://khamidjon.github.io/gymlog-landing-page/privacypolicy/

About

Hanzi Reader

Features
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Can't read a Chinese character? Just snap it. Point your camera at a menu, a sign or a textbook. Hanzi Reader shows the pinyin, tones, meaning and HSK level of every word. WHAT IS HANZI READER A camera-first Chinese reader and word list for learners. Save the words you snap, learn 1,119 HSK words on picture cards, and turn any photo into a short Chinese lesson. SOUND FAMILIAR? • Looking up an unknown character by radical or stroke count takes forever • You know the pinyin, but not the tone • You know the words, but sentences still don't click • You study HSK words, but can't tell how many you have learned WHAT YOU CAN DO • Pinyin and meaning in one snap: every word gets color-coded tones and a short meaning in your language, read the way the context needs. • HSK level at a glance: a new HSK (2026 syllabus) badge on every word, levels 1–6 and 7–9. • Traditional characters too: read text from Taiwan or Hong Kong, with the simplified form alongside. • Hear it: tap a word to hear it in Mandarin. • Your own word list: save words with one tap and track your progress in each HSK level. • Photo Lessons: snap your coffee, your dog or the view outside, and get 1–3 simple Chinese sentences about it, with pinyin, word meanings and colored lines for subject, predicate and object. Listen, then review later as photo cards. • HSK cards: 1,119 words from new HSK 1–4, each with an ink-and-wash picture, pinyin, meaning and an example sentence you can listen to. The first 10 HSK 1 words are free. HOW IT WORKS 1. Snap Chinese text or pick a photo 2. Check each word's pinyin, meaning and HSK level, and save it 3. Snap anything in Photo Lessons and read about it in Chinese 4. Review with HSK cards and photo cards GREAT FOR • HSK test takers building their Chinese vocabulary • Travelers reading Chinese menus and signs • Learners of traditional characters and Taiwanese Mandarin • Beginners who want to read short sentences, not just words • Anyone who remembers words better with pictures FAQ Is it free? Scanning and Photo Lessons share one free use a day; your first 3 Photo Lessons don't count. Watch an ad for more. Free also includes 50 saved words, 10 photo cards and the first 10 HSK 1 cards. Do you keep my photos? No. Photos are not stored on our server, and your word list and photo cards stay on your device. Reading a photo needs an internet connection. HANZI READER PRO • Scanning and Photo Lessons up to 20 times a day • Unlimited words and photo cards • All HSK 1–4 cards, plus cards for your saved words • No ads The annual plan includes a 7-day free trial for eligible users. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Hanzi Reader Pro is offered as an annual and a monthly plan. Prices are shown in the app and on the App Store. • Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm the purchase. • The subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Cancel at least 24 hours before the free trial ends and you will not be charged. • To cancel, open Settings > your name > Subscriptions on your iPhone. Terms of Service: https://shofj.com/en/apps/snap-text/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://shofj.com/en/apps/snap-text/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CoreNotes4 screens
Hanzi Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: CoreNotes at none against Hanzi Reader's shown. CoreNotes also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. CoreNotes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Hanzi Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CoreNotes ships an update fortnightly, Hanzi Reader every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
CoreNotes versus Hanzi Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCoreNotesHanzi Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKhamidjon EgamovSho Fujimoto

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CoreNotes

Subscriptions2
  • CoreNotes Pro | Monthly$3.991 Month
  • CoreNotes Pro | Yearly$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Hanzi Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Hanzi Reader Pro$2.991 Month
  • Hanzi Reader Pro7 Days trial$28.991 Year

Questions

Is CoreNotes free?
CoreNotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hanzi Reader free?
Hanzi Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CoreNotes or Hanzi Reader have ads?
Hanzi Reader shows ads; CoreNotes does not.
Which is updated more often, CoreNotes or Hanzi Reader?
CoreNotes ships an update fortnightly, and Hanzi Reader every 6 months. Most recently, CoreNotes was updated on November 13, 2026 and Hanzi Reader on November 13, 2026.

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