Comparison

HSK Mastery vs 字课

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

Head to head
About

HSK Mastery

Features
Read full description

Master Chinese vocabulary from HSK 1 to HSK 6 with HSK Mastery — the most comprehensive flashcard and quiz app for serious learners. Whether you're a complete beginner or preparing for the HSK exam, Daily Chinese adapts to your level and keeps you progressing every day. SMART LEARNING SYSTEM 4,500+ vocabulary words across all 6 HSK levels Multiple-choice quizzes with instant feedback Progressive unlocking: master lower levels to unlock higher ones Track every word you've mastered STUDY IN YOUR LANGUAGE Support for 16 translation languages: English, Deutsch, Espanol, Francais, Italiano, Portugues, Turkce, Русский, Mongol, Arabic, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian, Georgian, Armenian TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Daily streak counter to keep you motivated XP points system Detailed statistics per HSK level PREMIUM FEATURES Detailed statistics and progress charts for all HSK levels Wrong answer review: revisit words you missed until you master them Toggle Pinyin on/off to make quizzes harder HOW IT WORKS Choose your starting HSK level Take multiple-choice vocabulary quizzes Master words to unlock the next level Track your progress and review mistakes Build a daily streak and climb to HSK 6! Start learning Chinese today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://hskmastery.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://hskmastery.app/privacy

About

字课

Features
Read full description

See each stroke, then write on paper Tap a character during dictation or on its detail page to watch it build stroke by stroke in a writing grid. Hear each stroke name in Chinese, then tap outside to return to practice. Animation and stroke audio work offline. This is a stroke guide, not automatic reading of dictation words. The app interface and learning content are in Simplified Chinese. 字课 helps you build Simplified Chinese writing skills on paper, rate every character, and focus each review on weaker ones. Choose a structured character or word range, then write each prompt by hand on paper. Afterward, mark every character as Easy, Hard, or Wrong. 字课 turns those results into a clear proficiency view and brings weaker characters forward for focused review. Use the Mistake Notebook to collect characters missed in dictation, homework, tests, or everyday study. Review recent mistakes, see which characters are becoming secure, and keep a history of your practice results. The built-in character and word lists follow a character-first path inspired by Mainland Chinese elementary learning. Use them alongside classes, tutoring, heritage-language study, or independent practice. Core features: • Real handwriting practice on paper • Character-by-character scoring • Automatic priority for weaker characters • Mistake Notebook and progress history • Printable Tian Zi Ge PDF practice sheets from any selected character set • Offline character and word data The app interface and learning content are in Simplified Chinese.

Screenshots

HSK Mastery4 screens
字课4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 字课 at none against HSK Mastery's 2. HSK Mastery's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. HSK Mastery sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. 字课 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
HSK Mastery versus 字课: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHSK Mastery字课
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBurak Dalkiran帅 刘

In-app purchases

2 purchases

HSK Mastery

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$39.991 Year
None

字课

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HSK Mastery free?
HSK Mastery is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 字课 free?
字课 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HSK Mastery or 字课 have ads?
Neither HSK Mastery nor 字课 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HSK Mastery or 字课?
HSK Mastery ships an update fortnightly, and 字课 fortnightly. Most recently, HSK Mastery was updated on November 5, 2026 and 字课 on October 28, 2026.

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