Comparison

HanWords vs TOCFL Flashcards

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

Head to head
About

HanWords

Features
Read full description

Description: Unlock the power of Chinese characters with our app designed specifically for English speakers. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to solidify your foundation, this app turns learning high‑frequency Chinese characters into an engaging, multi‑sensory experience. What you get: Audio Pronunciation for Every Character Hear native‑speaker audio for each character, so you learn the correct tone and pronunciation from the very first day. Common Word Combinations (with sound) Each character comes with real‑life compound words – tap to listen. You’ll quickly understand how characters form meaningful phrases used in daily conversations. Stroke‑by‑Stroke Writing Guide Learn to write characters correctly with animated stroke order and practice on your screen. Writing helps you memorize faster and builds muscle memory. Real‑Life Scenarios We focus on characters that appear in everyday life – from ordering food and asking for directions to shopping and social media. You learn only what you actually need. Who is this for? English speakers who want to learn Chinese efficiently Travelers, expats, or business professionals in China Self‑learners who need a clear, step‑by‑step system Features: 500+ most common Chinese characters (and growing) High‑quality audio for all characters & compound words Offline mode – learn anywhere, no internet required Quiz mode to test your memory Clean, distraction‑free interface Start your Chinese character journey today – download now and see how fast you can learn to read, write, and speak with confidence.

About

TOCFL Flashcards

Features
Read full description

Learn Traditional Chinese for the TOCFL exam with a focused, distraction-free flash card app built for daily practice. Tap to flip. Mark what you knew. Watch your familiarity grow from New to Mastered as you go. WHO IT'S FOR TOCFL learners at any band — from Novice 1 through Level 5. Whether you're starting your first 300 characters or sharpening the upper levels, every session draws from the bands you choose. FEATURES • 7 TOCFL bands — Novice 1, Novice 2, Level 1 through Level 5 • Traditional characters with pinyin, part of speech, and English • Smart card mixing — sees new words more often, mastered ones less often • Familiarity buckets — New, Learning, Familiar, Mastered • Progress page with charts — see your familiarity, mastery by level, and which words need review • Dictionary mode — browse and search the full word list • Customizable session length, from 5 to 50 cards • 100% offline — no account, no tracking, no ads PRIVACY Your study data never leaves your device. No analytics, no trackers, no sign-up. Made for learners who want to study, not configure.

Screenshots

HanWords4 screens
TOCFL Flashcards4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: TOCFL Flashcards at Free against HanWords's $3.99. TOCFL Flashcards also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). HanWords's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On ads, in-app purchases 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

TOCFL Flashcards is free to download; HanWords costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HanWords ships an update every 3 weeks, TOCFL Flashcards daily. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
HanWords versus TOCFL Flashcards: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanWordsTOCFL Flashcards
Price$3.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB18 MB
Age rating9+4+
Developer龙 程Marcus Johansson

In-app purchases

None

HanWords

No in-app purchases

None

TOCFL Flashcards

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HanWords free?
HanWords costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TOCFL Flashcards free?
TOCFL Flashcards is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HanWords or TOCFL Flashcards have ads?
Neither HanWords nor TOCFL Flashcards shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HanWords or TOCFL Flashcards?
HanWords ships an update every 3 weeks, and TOCFL Flashcards daily. Most recently, HanWords was updated on September 9, 2026 and TOCFL Flashcards on September 18, 2026.

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