Comparison

Learn Mandarin Words vs HanziiGo

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

Head to head
About

Learn Mandarin Words

Features
Read full description

Learn Mandarin Words — your pixel pet helps you learn Chinese. Words flow across the screen like music. No quizzes, no stress. Just watch, absorb, and swipe left to feed any word you want to review. Your word-eater swallows it and remembers for you. Fed words loop on your home screen widget 24/7. A quick glance when you unlock your phone — another review done. Turn on Marathon mode to keep the cycle going and hatch eggs. Your pet is alive. It has health points. Feed it words to keep it healthy. Stop feeding, and it fades away. The Revival Lantern can bring it back — buy one ahead of time as insurance, and it activates automatically. 3,500+ words across 4 levels: Basic (500 essential words), Elementary (600 everyday words), Intermediate (800 advanced words), Expert (1600+ mastery words). Each word shows the Chinese character, pinyin with tone colors, and English meaning. Swipe left to feed → Widget repeats your words → Marathon hatches eggs → Your pet evolves → Collect 12 badges → Forge the ultimate Cosmos badge. Features: - Pixel word-eater pet that grows with you - Home screen widget with 24/7 word cycling - Pinyin with tone colors (red, orange, green, blue) - 12 collectible badges in random order - Egg hatching through Marathon days - Revival Lantern — buy anytime, activates on its own - iCloud sync — switch devices, keep your progress - No ads. No subscriptions. Free to download.

About

HanziiGo

Features
Read full description

HanziiGo — Your All-in-One Chinese Learning App Master Chinese the smart way — with AI pronunciation scoring, PvP battles, video dictation, stories, news and structured HSK & YCT lessons. Everything you need in one app. Just 15 minutes a day to build all 4 skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing, from HSK level 1 to 9. SMART DICTIONARY - Search by pinyin, character, or meaning in 9 languages - Simplified & Traditional characters with stroke-order guides - Vocabulary illustrated with real photos - Save words and build custom flashcard decks - AI-annotated word of the day PINYIN FOUNDATION PATH - Start from zero: the 4 tones, initials, finals, and tone sandhi rules - Listen-and-choose exercises for every pronunciation rule - A solid foundation before HSK 1 STRUCTURED HSK & YCT LESSONS - Step-by-step: vocabulary → grammar → quiz - AI grammar explanations in 9 languages - Track progress with XP and daily streaks AI PRONUNCIATION SCORING - Record your voice and get instant AI feedback - Syllable-by-syllable feedback — like a native teacher - Detailed tips to improve your tones and pronunciation VIDEO DICTATION - Dictation exercises from real Chinese videos - Multiple difficulty levels for every learner - Instant scoring and correction AUDIOBOOKS & CHINESE NEWS - HSK-leveled audiobooks with interlinear pinyin - Real Chinese news updated daily for reading practice - Tap any character to look it up, translate any sentence instantly ARENA — REAL-TIME VOCABULARY PVP - Challenge learners worldwide in real time - Climb the leaderboard — learning that feels like a game - Weekly leaderboards and an ELO ranking system AI TUTOR — YOUR STUDY ASSISTANT - Ask AI anything about Chinese, 24/7 - Complete topic-based conversation missions - On-demand grammar explanations and translation help VARIED PRACTICE MODES - Spaced-repetition flashcards — review the right word at the right time - Listening, word-matching, typing, and quick quizzes - Fun vocabulary mini-games - Topic-based practice in many styles TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - Streaks, XP, and study time - Practice history and performance charts - Push notification reminders to keep your habit going LEARN IN YOUR LANGUAGE Full interface in: Vietnamese, English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, French, Russian, Indonesian, and Chinese. WHY CHOOSE HANZIIGO? - All-in-one: dictionary, lessons, practice, Arena — no need for multiple apps - Smart AI: feedback that helps you improve faster - Learn anytime, anywhere — built for busy people - Proven method: short daily sessions, real results Chinese doesn't have to be hard with HanziiGo! Privacy Policy: https://hanziigo.com/privacy

Screenshots

Learn Mandarin Words4 screens
HanziiGo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Learn Mandarin Words at none against HanziiGo's shown. Learn Mandarin Words also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). HanziiGo's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Learn Mandarin Words sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HanziiGo 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

Learn Mandarin Words ships an update every 3 days, HanziiGo every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Learn Mandarin Words versus HanziiGo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn Mandarin WordsHanziiGo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer兴 管Thi Cuc Nguyen

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Learn Mandarin Words

One-time1
  • Revival Lantern$19.99
3 purchases

HanziiGo

Subscriptions2
  • HanziiGo Plus Hàng tháng$2.991 Month
  • HanziiGo Plus Hàng năm1 Year trial$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • HanziiGo Plus Trọn Đời$59.99

Questions

Is Learn Mandarin Words free?
Learn Mandarin Words is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HanziiGo free?
HanziiGo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Learn Mandarin Words or HanziiGo have ads?
HanziiGo shows ads; Learn Mandarin Words does not.
Which is updated more often, Learn Mandarin Words or HanziiGo?
Learn Mandarin Words ships an update every 3 days, and HanziiGo every 3 weeks. Most recently, Learn Mandarin Words was updated on October 24, 2026 and HanziiGo on October 25, 2026.

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