Comparison

Zimu vs English Accent

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

Head to head
About

Zimu

Instantly translate and understand printed Chinese text using your device's camera. It offers on-device OCR, context-aware word segmentation, and a comprehensive dictionary with HSK levels. Save words and phrases for offline review with spaced-repetition flashcards.

Highlights
  • Camera OCR for printed Chinese
  • On-device translation and segmentation
  • Context-aware pinyin and word meaning
  • Spaced-repetition flashcards
  • Offline dictionary and features
  • HSK level integration
Features
Read full description

Zimu is a modern Chinese dictionary for people who actually read real Chinese: menus, signs, books, subtitles. It does more than look up words you already know. Point your camera at printed Chinese and Zimu turns it into tappable, segmented words with pinyin, right there on your device. Tap any word to see its meaning, its pronunciation, and the sentence it came from. Save it to your notebook and review it later with spaced-repetition flashcards. Scan, look up, save, review: the whole reading loop, all in one app. It all runs on your device, offline. There's no account, no sign-up, no ads, and nothing gets uploaded. READ REAL CHINESE WITH YOUR CAMERA • On-device OCR for printed simplified and traditional Chinese • Every word in a scan becomes tappable for pinyin and meaning • Translate a whole passage on your device, then read it in your own language • Reads text other apps miss, including vertical and rotated lines ACCURATE BY DESIGN • Neural, context-aware word segmentation instead of greedy character matching • Pinyin that resolves polyphones from the sentence: 还 reads hái "still" or huán "to return," and Zimu knows which • A 120,000-entry dictionary with HSK levels on 11,000+ core words and part of speech on every entry • Simplified and traditional variants mapped together, with animated stroke order and audio EVERYTHING IN YOUR LANGUAGE The whole dictionary is localized into nine languages, not just the interface: definitions, character and word explanations, 180,000+ example sentences, and grammar notes. A NOTEBOOK THAT REMEMBERS FOR YOU • Save words and grammar as you read, with the source sentence kept alongside each one • Tag, organize, and review with modern FSRS spaced repetition • A focused drilling mode for when you want to push harder • iCloud keeps your notebook, flashcards, and review schedule in sync across iPhone and iPad PRIVATE AND OFFLINE Dictionary, OCR, segmentation, pinyin, stroke order, translation, notebook, and flashcards all work without a network. Read and translate a menu on a plane, or a sign with no signal. Once your dictionary and language packs are downloaded, the only thing that uses the internet is iCloud sync, and your notebook stays in your private iCloud account. There's no sign-up, and Zimu never asks for your email. SWITCHING FROM ANOTHER DICTIONARY APP? Zimu will feel familiar: tap to look up, a saveable word list, flashcards. The difference is that it's built around reading in the moment. Camera OCR is part of the app rather than an add-on, segmentation is neural rather than dictionary-greedy, pinyin is resolved in context, and the whole dictionary comes in your own language. You can bring your existing word list over by importing a standard export (.txt or .xml). BEAUTIFUL, AND BUILT FOR iOS • A modern, native interface made for long reading sessions • Light and dark themes, from a calm Matcha to a bright Sakura Zimu Pro unlocks deeper word insights, advanced grammar, every example sentence, unlimited saves, study stats, and every theme. Core reading, lookup, definitions, and flashcards are free. Terms of Use (EULA): https://getzimu.app/terms

About

English Accent

Features
Read full description

ShadowTeep helps you turn your own notes and phrases into repeatable listening and speaking practice. Write the sentence you want to own, hear it with on-device text-to-speech, and shadow it until it feels natural. Drill one line at a time, use Play All for a full note, favorite the phrases you need most, and keep practice material synced across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Found a line worth practising in a textbook, on a menu, or on a sign? Point the camera at it, swipe the lines you want, and they land in your note — list numbers and speaker labels removed for you. On iPad, draw a box around the text with Apple Pencil. Text is recognized on your device. English and Chinese voice paths run on device after setup, so practice can continue offline once the required voice assets are ready. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Zimu4 screens
English Accent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Zimu at none against English Accent's shown. Zimu also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 27.0). English Accent's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (4 vs 2). On price 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. Zimu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and English Accent sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zimu ships an update every 3 weeks, English Accent every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Zimu versus English Accent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZimuEnglish Accent
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB31 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperNicholas ZaverdinosSungwook Baek

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Zimu

Subscriptions2
  • Zimu Pro — Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Zimu Pro — Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Zimu Pro — Lifetime$59.99
3 purchases

English Accent

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly1 Month trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Zimu free?
Zimu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is English Accent free?
English Accent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Zimu or English Accent have ads?
English Accent shows ads; Zimu does not.
Which is updated more often, Zimu or English Accent?
Zimu ships an update every 3 weeks, and English Accent every 5 days. Most recently, Zimu was updated on October 31, 2026 and English Accent on October 31, 2026.

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