Comparison

HanKa (汉卡) vs HanziGrid

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

Head to head
About

HanKa (汉卡)

Features
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Learn Chinese characters and pinyin, level by level, with the new official HSK 3.0 standard (11,000 words, levels 1 through 7-9). HanKa turns vocabulary memorization into a simple gesture: flip the card, then swipe right if you know it, left if you don't. The spaced repetition algorithm handles the rest: words you know come back less and less often, while the stubborn ones return within minutes. SMART FLASHCARDS - The complete official HSK 3.0 vocabulary: simplified and traditional characters, pinyin, translations in English, French, Vietnamese, Thai and Russian - Spaced repetition (SM-2): review less, remember more - Two modes: characters on the front, or pinyin on the front - Pinyin hints below characters, on by default for HSK 1-2 - Mandarin audio pronunciation on every card FIND YOUR LEVEL - Pick the HSK level you're preparing, from HSK 1 to HSK 7-9 - Not sure where you stand? The placement test estimates your level in minutes STAY MOTIVATED - Daily goal and day streak - 18 achievements to unlock - Per-level quizzes: character → meaning, meaning → character, and listening comprehension - A gentle daily reminder (never sent if you've already studied) - "Word of the hour" lock screen widget (Premium): a character, its pinyin and translation, refreshed every hour BUILT FOR YOU - 100% offline: study on the subway, on a plane, anywhere - No account required, no data collected - Interface in English, French, Vietnamese, Thai and Russian, detected automatically - Comfortable on iPhone and iPad - Design inspired by traditional China: cinnabar red, gold and rice paper FREE, PREMIUM IF YOU WANT HSK 1 is completely free, along with the first 100 words of every other level. A single one-time purchase unlocks everything, forever. No subscription. HanKa is built on the official HSK 3.0 word lists, the standard in effect since July 2026. Perfect for exam prep, daily review, or simply (re)discovering Mandarin. 加油!

About

HanziGrid

Features
Read full description

HanziGrid makes Chinese finally visible. Every character you learn fills your personal grid. Bao, your panda companion, chooses what to review at the right time and writes stories you can truly read using the characters you know. • A visual grid of 2,663 HSK characters • Spaced reviews tailored to your progress • Fast quizzes for every HSK level • Daily stories written for your real level, with HanziGrid+ • Start instantly with local progress and no required account • Sign in with Apple later if you want to sync Start free as a guest: grid, quizzes and daily reviews. HanziGrid+ lifts the daily caps and unlocks three tailored stories a day. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hanzigrid.yoloind.com/privacy

Screenshots

HanKa (汉卡)4 screens
HanziGrid3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HanziGrid at every 2 weeks against HanKa (汉卡)'s every 2 months. HanKa (汉卡)'s advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. HanKa (汉卡) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HanziGrid sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HanKa (汉卡) ships an update every 2 months, HanziGrid every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
HanKa (汉卡) versus HanziGrid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanKa (汉卡)HanziGrid
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCyrille VarinLORIS ALEXANDRE

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HanKa (汉卡)

One-time1
  • HanKa Premium$3.99
3 purchases

HanziGrid

Subscriptions3
  • HanziGrid+ Monthly3 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • HanziGrid+ 3 Months3 Days trial$22.993 Months
  • HanziGrid+ Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is HanKa (汉卡) free?
HanKa (汉卡) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HanziGrid free?
HanziGrid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HanKa (汉卡) or HanziGrid have ads?
Neither HanKa (汉卡) nor HanziGrid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HanKa (汉卡) or HanziGrid?
HanKa (汉卡) ships an update every 2 months, and HanziGrid every 2 weeks. Most recently, HanKa (汉卡) was updated on October 24, 2026 and HanziGrid on October 5, 2026.

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