Hanzi Stroke vs Meshk
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hanzi Stroke
Learn to write Chinese characters with animated stroke order demonstrations and real-time tracing feedback. Features textbook-synced lists, custom practice sets, and vocabulary games. Fully offline and ad-free for a focused learning experience.
- Stroke order animation with audio
- Real-time tracing feedback
- Textbook-synced character lists
- Customizable practice sets
- Pinyin and radical information
- Vocabulary and idiom games
- Offline functionality
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Hanzi Stroke (汉字笔顺通) is a Chinese character writing education app designed for children and Chinese language learners. Following the official stroke order standards published by China's National Language Commission, it teaches correct character writing through animated demonstrations and guided tracing practice. CORE FEATURES Stroke Order Animation Watch each character drawn stroke by stroke with standard animations. Each stroke is accompanied by its name spoken aloud. Adjust playback speed and replay as needed. Covers all 32 standard stroke types. Tracing Practice with Real-Time Feedback Practice writing in traditional grid formats (mi-zi-ge or tian-zi-ge). The system validates stroke direction, order, and trajectory in real time. Correct strokes are confirmed instantly. Incorrect strokes prompt you to try again. This creates a complete learning loop for every character. Textbook-Synced Character Lists Built-in character lists synchronized with the official Chinese elementary school textbooks (grades 1-6). Organized by grade, volume, and lesson. Parents and teachers can select specific lessons for targeted practice. Custom Practice Sets Create your own character collections for focused practice. Perfect for drilling commonly confused characters or exam preparation. Pinyin and Radicals Every character includes standard pinyin annotation and radical information. A complete pinyin reference table (initials, finals, and whole syllables) with audio pronunciation is included. Words and Idioms A rich database of Chinese words and four-character idioms (chengyu). Includes word chain and idiom chain games for engaging vocabulary building. Xiehouyu (Allegorical Sayings) Browse classic Chinese allegorical sayings organized by pinyin initial. A great way to build cultural literacy. WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT Fully Offline Every feature works without an internet connection. Use it on airplanes, in subways, or anywhere without Wi-Fi. This also means children are never exposed to inappropriate online content while using the app. No Ads, No Social Features The app contains zero advertisements and no social features, leaderboards, or user interactions. A clean, focused learning environment for children. Child Safety Built-in parental controls use a math verification gate (adult-level arithmetic) to protect purchases and external links. Compliant with children's app safety requirements. Universal Device Support Optimized for both iPhone and iPad. The iPad's larger screen provides a more comfortable writing practice experience. MEMBERSHIP Free: Stroke order animation demo mode, basic stroke reference, pinyin table, word and idiom search. Create 1 custom practice set. Premium: Unlocks tracing practice mode, demo-then-practice mode, unlimited custom practice sets, and all word books. Subscription Options: - Monthly: Auto-renewing monthly subscription - Yearly: Auto-renewing yearly subscription - Yearly with 7-day free trial: Auto-renewing yearly subscription after the free trial ends, unless canceled at least 24 hours before renewal - Lifetime: One-time purchase, permanent access to all features Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. CONTACT US Email: sectojoy@gmail.com Website: https://zelonai.com/app/hanzistroke Privacy Policy: https://zelonai.com/app/hanzistroke/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Children & Parents: https://zelonai.com/app/hanzistroke/children-and-parents
Meshk
Master handwriting and calligraphy with stroke-by-stroke guidance and real-time scoring. Explore 139 writing systems, from modern scripts to historical alphabets, with structured lessons and customizable practice materials.
- 139 writing systems
- Real-time stroke scoring
- Animated stroke guides
- Structured courses and exams
- Arabic calligraphy styles
- Customizable practice material
- Kids Zone with playful tracing
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Learn to write by hand — really write. Meshk is a handwriting and calligraphy trainer that guides your pen stroke by stroke, scores every stroke in real time, and covers 139 writing systems in one app. From Latin cursive and Arabic calligraphy to Chinese hanzi, Japanese kana, Korean Hangul, Devanagari, Tamil, Thai, Cherokee, Ge'ez and N'Ko — 73 scripts in living use today, 66 historic ones, 169 practice packs and 13,256 characters, every one with authentic stroke order. WHAT YOU PRACTICE 139 writing systems Latin (print, cursive, formal script, school manuscript) and Cyrillic · Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac and Thaana · Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Japanese kanji and kana, Korean Hangul and hanja, Bopomofo · 39 Brahmic scripts including Devanagari, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Odia, Sinhala and Tibetan · 17 Southeast Asian scripts including Thai, Lao, Khmer, Burmese, Javanese, Balinese and Baybayin · African scripts including Ge'ez, N'Ko, Tifinagh, Vai, Adlam and Bamum · Armenian, Georgian and Greek · and 66 historic scripts from Egyptian-era alphabets to Runic, Gothic, Glagolitic, Old Turkic, Brahmi, Linear B and Cuneiform-era writing. Hat — classical Arabic calligraphy Five historical styles taught the traditional way: Naskh, Thuluth, Diwani, Ruq'ah and Kufi, with right-to-left guides and reed-pen (qalam) simulation that reproduces the angled nib of a real calligrapher. Hat Studio Meşk the way calligraphers learn it: 896 Arabic compositions, from single words and joined words to full lines, stacked compositions, panels, the tughra and mirrored writing, each written stroke by stroke with a reed pen. Eight more pen hands (Foundational, Uncial, Cyrillic and Greek broad pen, Hebrew Ashuri, Hangul Panbonche, Chinese Kaishu, Japanese Kaisho) and a drawing shelf of 84 exercises in line, ellipse, form, perspective, value, contour and construction. Real stroke scoring Not tracing theatre. Every stroke is compared with the master stroke for direction, order, shape and placement, then scored. Hints show exactly where your stroke went off. Animated stroke guides Watch each character written stroke by stroke, replay at your own speed, then write it yourself over a dotted outline, on lines, or on a blank page. Courses, lessons and exams Every script has a structured course: single letters, lowercase and uppercase, connecting letters, words, then an exam that scores you and awards stars. Kids Zone Playful, age-appropriate letter tracing for children — shapes, letters, words, badges and streaks, with a progress map they want to finish. Your own practice material Add your own words, your own texts and blank practice papers. Meshk builds lessons from whatever you want to write — a name, a poem, a vocabulary list. Import your own fonts Bring any writing style in as SVG and Meshk turns it into a guided, scored course. THE PEN RACK 81 pens, open in every lesson: Apple's eight inks and 73 reeds, nibs, brushes, leads and charcoal on ten shelves. Each has its own cut, angle and ink load, so a Thuluth reed behaves like a Thuluth reed. On iPad the rail sits on whichever side you hold the tablet. MADE FOR APPLE PENCIL Low-latency ink, pressure and tilt response, paper-texture haptics and hover support. It feels like a pen on paper, not a finger on glass. Works on iPhone too. PERFECT FOR • Adults fixing their handwriting • Language learners who want to write, not just type • Calligraphy beginners and enthusiasts • Children learning their first letters • Teachers and tutors running handwriting classes • Anyone learning a new alphabet before a trip, a course or an exam MESHK PRO Meshk Pro opens connecting letters, word lessons, unlimited exams and your own words, texts and practice papers in every course. Download Meshk and write your first letter today.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hanzi Stroke at 100% against Meshk's 75%. Hanzi Stroke also leads on rating (4.2 vs 4.0) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Meshk's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads 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
Both are free to download. Hanzi Stroke sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Meshk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Hanzi Stroke holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Hanzi Stroke's written reviews are positive against 75% of Meshk's.
Hanzi Stroke ships an update every 3 weeks, Meshk weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hanzi Stroke | Meshk |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better | 4.0 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 180 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 雷 陈 | Cihat Salik |
Customer experience
Hanzi Stroke
Meshk
In-app purchases
Hanzi Stroke
- Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$9.991 Year
- Annual Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime Purchase$19.99
Meshk
- Meshk Pro — Monthly$2.991 Month
- Meshk Pro — Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Meshk Pro — Lifetime$49.99






