# Study Chinese vs Inkstone

The clearest difference is rating: Study Chinese at 5.0 against Inkstone's 4.3. Study Chinese also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and ads (none vs shown). Inkstone's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and ratings volume (12 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Study Chinese sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Inkstone sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Study Chinese holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Inkstone has 12 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Study Chinese's written reviews are positive against 60% of Inkstone's.

Study Chinese ships an update every 4 days, Inkstone every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Study Chinese | Inkstone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-chinese-learn-mandarin/id6780555782/reviews)** | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkstone-learn-chinese/id6799497723/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **12** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 296 MB | 168 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Edrick Hartanto](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780555784) | [Conder Shou](https://appshunter.io/developer/6799497725) |

## What reviewers say

### Study Chinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-chinese-learn-mandarin/id6780555782)

Learn Mandarin through an engaging, game-like experience. Progress through levels with interactive drills, boss fights, and weekly challenges. Offers both classic and updated HSK tracks for comprehensive language acquisition.

**Highlights:** Gamified learning with islands and boss fights, Two HSK tracks (2.0 Classic and 3.0), Interactive drills: flashcards, matching, writing, speaking, Tone Studio for pronunciation practice, Weekly leagues and multiplayer challenges, Spaced repetition and graded readings, Home and Lock Screen widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Study Chinese Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Study Chinese Pro Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plus | $99.99 | one-time |


### Inkstone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkstone-learn-chinese/id6799497723)

Learn Chinese through classic stories and poems. Offers detailed explanations, translations, and audio pronunciations for every word and sentence. Supports offline reading and vocabulary saving.

**Highlights:** Classic Chinese stories and poems, Modern Chinese retellings, Audio narration with pinyin, Tap-to-translate words, Sentence-by-sentence translation, Offline reading support, Vocabulary saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inkstone Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Inkstone Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Study Chinese free?

Study Chinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Inkstone free?

Inkstone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Study Chinese or Inkstone?

Study Chinese is rated higher. Study Chinese averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Inkstone averages 4.3 from 12 ratings.

### Do Study Chinese or Inkstone have ads?

Inkstone shows ads; Study Chinese does not.

### Which is updated more often, Study Chinese or Inkstone?

Study Chinese ships an update every 4 days, and Inkstone every 3 days. Most recently, Study Chinese was updated on October 24, 2026 and Inkstone on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*