Comparison

HeyWrite vs Start Writing

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

Head to head
About

HeyWrite

Learn to write Japanese, Korean, and Chinese characters with guided stroke-by-stroke practice. Build muscle memory for better retention and readability. Features spaced repetition and quizzes to reinforce learning.

Highlights
  • Guided stroke order practice
  • Muscle memory learning
  • Spaced repetition system
  • Multiple-choice quizzes
  • JLPT, HSK, and TOPIK curricula
  • Native speaker pronunciation
Features
Read full description

Master Japanese, Korean, and Chinese by writing every character stroke by stroke โ€” the way native speakers actually learn. HeyWrite teaches correct stroke order through guided drawing practice on your phone. Unlike flashcard apps, your muscle memory does the memorizing โ€” characters stick because your hand remembers them. -- WHY STROKE ORDER MATTERS -- Research shows handwriting beats passive study. Every character you draw in HeyWrite follows the exact stroke sequence used in Japan, Korea, and China โ€” the same method taught in schools there. Correct stroke order makes your handwriting readable and speeds recognition. -- THREE LANGUAGES, ONE APP -- JAPANESE * Hiragana & Katakana (kana): all 46+46 characters with stroke order * Kanji: JLPT N5 through N1 (2000+ kanji organized by exam level) * Hear native-speaker pronunciation for every character KOREAN * Hangul: all consonants and vowels with stroke order * TOPIK 1 through TOPIK 6 vocabulary MANDARIN CHINESE * Hanzi: HSK 1 through HSK 9 (3000+ characters) * Simplified characters with stroke-by-stroke guidance -- HOW IT WORKS -- 1. Trace โ€” follow the stroke guide to learn correct order 2. Write free โ€” recall the character from memory without hints 3. Quiz โ€” multiple-choice review to reinforce retention 4. Spaced repetition โ€” smart scheduling brings back characters right before you forget them -- COMPLETE OFFICIAL CURRICULA -- * JLPT N5, N4, N3, N2, N1 โ€” full kanji and kana sets * HSK 1โ€“9 โ€” complete simplified Chinese character lists * TOPIK 1โ€“6 โ€” full Hangul writing syllabus -- FREE TO START -- Hundreds of characters are free. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited access to all JLPT, HSK, and TOPIK levels and every feature. PERFECT FOR: * JLPT test-takers who need kanji writing practice * HSK candidates building Chinese character recognition * K-pop and K-drama fans who want to read and write Hangul * Beginners who tried Duolingo or WaniKani but want real handwriting * Anyone replacing Skritter who wants a mobile-first experience Download HeyWrite and write your first character today. Terms of Use: https://heywrite.euplabs.net/terms

About

Start Writing

Features
Read full description

Handwriting is muscle memory, and muscle memory needs the right kind of repetition. Start Writing gives you a proper practice sheet, correct stroke order, and a scheduler that brings each character back just before you'd forget it. WRITE THREE SCRIPTS Chinese characters, Japanese kana and kanji, and the Latin alphabet, each with its own paper. Chinese and Japanese get the square grid with diagonal guides that teachers use; English gets the four-line baseline grid. STROKE ORDER, ANIMATED Watch any character draw itself stroke by stroke, then trace over the model and write it from memory. Stroke-order data covers the characters you'll actually meet, not just a starter set. SCORING THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING Every attempt is checked against the reference form for stroke count, position and proportion, so you find out which stroke drifted rather than just seeing a number. REVIEW AT THE RIGHT MOMENT A spaced-repetition scheduler tracks each character separately. Characters you write cleanly move further out; the ones you fumble come back sooner. Your daily goal splits new items from reviews so a session has a clear finish. BUILT FOR APPLE PENCIL Pressure and tilt come through to the stroke. Choose ink colour and stroke width, or turn on finger writing when the Pencil isn't nearby. THIRTY-FOUR THEMED SETS Numbers, family, body, colours, nature, animals, food, time, school, greetings, actions and places โ€” written in parallel across all three scripts and graded from beginner to intermediate. Twenty-five starter sets are free. RADICALS AND KANA TABLES 223 Chinese radicals ordered by stroke count, the full gojลซon tables for hiragana and katakana, and the alphabet in upper and lower case. Every entry is practiceable on its own. TRACK WHAT YOU'VE DONE A contribution-style activity map, streak count, per-character history and mastery breakdown. All of it computed on your device. NO ACCOUNT, NO TRACKING Start Writing collects nothing. There is no account, no analytics and no advertising SDK. Your writing history stays on your device unless you turn on iCloud sync, in which case it goes to your own private iCloud database and nowhere else. ONE PURCHASE The full version is a single purchase โ€” no subscription, no expiry. It unlocks importing your own articles and word lists, iCloud sync and restore, Home Screen widgets, ink colour and stroke width, nine word and sentence sets, and unlimited books. Free forever: stroke-order animation for all three scripts, scoring, tracing, twenty-five starter sets, daily goals, practice history and statistics. Character shape data comes from the Make Me a Hanzi project (Arphic Public License) and letter models from open-source school teaching fonts (SIL Open Font License). Full licence texts are in Settings โ€บ About โ€บ Open Source Licences.

Screenshots

HeyWrite4 screens
Start Writing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HeyWrite at every 5 days against Start Writing's fortnightly. HeyWrite also leads on iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. HeyWrite sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Start Writing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HeyWrite ships an update every 5 days, Start Writing fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
HeyWrite versus Start Writing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeyWriteStart Writing
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 5 days โ€” betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size305 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinh Nguyenๅฎถ่ฑช ๅผ 

In-app purchases

12 purchases

HeyWrite

Subscriptions4
  • HeyWrite Premium Monthly$3.491 Month
  • HeyWrite Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • HeyWrite Premium Annual$8.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • HeyWrite Premium Annual$19.991 Year
One-time8
  • 5 Extra Lessons$0.99
  • No Ads for 7 Days$0.99
  • Unlock 1 Course Forever$1.99
Show 5 more
  • 3 Diamonds$1.99
  • HeyWrite Lifetime$9.99
  • HeyWrite Lifetime$11.99
  • Bamii Premium Lifetime$13.99
  • Bamii Premium Lifetime$15.99
1 purchases

Start Writing

One-time1
  • Premium$14.99

Questions

Is HeyWrite free?
HeyWrite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Start Writing free?
Start Writing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HeyWrite or Start Writing have ads?
Neither HeyWrite nor Start Writing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HeyWrite or Start Writing?
HeyWrite ships an update every 5 days, and Start Writing fortnightly. Most recently, HeyWrite was updated on October 24, 2026 and Start Writing on October 26, 2026.

Other comparisons