Comparison

HanziMemo vs HearMandarin

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

Head to head
About

HanziMemo

Features
Read full description

Build your Mandarin vocabulary and work towards your HSK goals with HanziMemo. Flashcards, spaced repetition, stories and mock exams bring words together in different ways to help them stick! FLASHCARDS THAT BRING WORDS TO LIFE Study characters, pinyin and meanings. Listen to pronunciation and explore example sentences to understand how words are used in context! REVIEWS AT YOUR OWN PACE Spaced repetition schedules words based on your answers. Choose your HSK level and personalise your review modes, including recognition, writing and pronunciation! A FOUNDATION IN MANDARIN Explore pinyin, tones and characters to build a solid foundation, one step at a time! STORIES BEYOND THE FLASHCARDS Meet vocabulary again in stories suited to your level and connect the words you learn with meaningful contexts! HSK MOCK EXAMS Practise with mock exams and check your results to see what needs more attention! YOUR WORDS, YOUR LISTS Browse the HSK dictionary, create personal vocabulary lists and add your own flashcards to focus on the words that matter to you! HanziMemo is available in English and French. From your first character to your next review, grow your Mandarin a little every day! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.hanzimemo.app/legal/confidentialite

About

HearMandarin

Features
Read full description

HearMandarin teaches Mandarin the way you will meet it: by ear first. Every word, sentence and story comes with clear Mandarin audio, and each screen asks you to listen before it shows you the characters. What is inside โ€ข Eight rooms: Tones, HSK words, Survival phrases, Stories, Slang, Grammar, Radicals and a daily listening round. โ€ข 220 graded stories across seven bands, read line by line with pinyin and English on demand. โ€ข 11,000+ HSK 3.0 words with example sentences and stroke order. โ€ข 185 slang entries with register, channel and freshness notes, plus 12 "how to say it" guides and 8 side-by-side comparisons of words people mix up. โ€ข Four practice games: Tone contrasts, Picture match, Build the sentence and Draw the tone. โ€ข Review that surfaces what is due, and a progress page that shows your week. Works offline once its audio packs are downloaded, and every audio pack is free. No account, no ads, no tracking. HearMandarin Pro is a one-time purchase: audio, listen-first mode and quizzes for every story beyond Band 4, the complete 720-question test bank with explanations, Anki-ready exports, printable word books and continuous listening through each band.

Screenshots

HanziMemo4 screens
HearMandarin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HearMandarin at monthly against HanziMemo's every 2 months. HanziMemo's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). 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. HanziMemo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and HearMandarin sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HanziMemo ships an update every 2 months, HearMandarin monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
HanziMemo versus HearMandarin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanziMemoHearMandarin
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better26.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size5 MB220 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAlice Hitchonๅ–† ็Ž‹

In-app purchases

2 purchases

HanziMemo

Subscriptions2
  • HanziMemo Premium$5.991 Month
  • HanziMemo Premium$59.991 Year
1 purchases

HearMandarin

One-time1
  • HearMandarin Pro$49.99

Questions

Is HanziMemo free?
HanziMemo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HearMandarin free?
HearMandarin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HanziMemo or HearMandarin have ads?
Neither HanziMemo nor HearMandarin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HanziMemo or HearMandarin?
HanziMemo ships an update every 2 months, and HearMandarin monthly. Most recently, HanziMemo was updated on November 10, 2026 and HearMandarin on October 31, 2026.

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