Comparison

Hanzi vs Inkday

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

Head to head
About

Hanzi

Features
Read full description

Learn Chinese characters beyond recognition — learn to read, write, build words, and create sentences. A complete Chinese character learning app designed for children and Chinese learners. Start with a single character, then explore related words and example sentences. Build vocabulary, understand how characters are actually used, and gradually improve sentence writing and composition skills. Whether you’re learning Chinese for school, reviewing every day, preparing for HSK, or practicing handwriting, you can do it all in one place. • Learn Characters in Context Knowing a Chinese character is only the beginning. For each character, explore related words and example sentences to understand not only how it is pronounced, but also how it is used in real Chinese. Build your knowledge step by step: Character → Word → Sentence Expand your vocabulary and develop a stronger foundation for reading, sentence building, and Chinese writing. • Hear Characters, Words & Sentences Listen to pronunciation anytime while you learn. From individual characters to words and complete sentences, learn by seeing and listening at the same time. It’s an easy way to strengthen pronunciation and understand how Chinese sounds in context. • Animated Stroke Order Not sure which stroke comes first? View the complete stroke order for Chinese characters and play animated stroke-by-stroke demonstrations. Follow each stroke visually and develop correct handwriting habits from the beginning. • Smart Daily Review Learning something once isn’t enough — remembering it is what matters. Daily review plans are organized around the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve to help you revisit characters at the right time. Open the app each day and see what you need to review, without having to plan it yourself. Turn repetition into a simple daily learning habit. • Create & Print Your Own Chinese Worksheets Choose any Chinese characters and generate printable PDF handwriting worksheets. Practice exactly what you’re learning. Print today’s characters, review difficult ones again, or create personalized handwriting sheets for home study and after-school practice. • Recognize Chinese Characters with Your Camera See a character you don’t know? You don’t need to type it manually. Take a photo with your camera or choose an image from your photo library to recognize Chinese characters and add them to your learning. Turn characters from books, homework, signs, and everyday life into new learning opportunities. • Track Your Learning Progress See how your Chinese character knowledge grows over time. Track: - How many characters you study each day - Which characters you already know well - Which characters still need review - Your overall learning progress Every small step becomes visible. • Learn in the Order That Works for You Choose from different Chinese character lists, including: - High-frequency Chinese characters - Textbook characters - HSK characters - Your own custom characters Whether you’re following a school curriculum or preparing for HSK, you can find a learning path that fits your goals. A few characters every day can add up to a lot. Go beyond memorization. Learn to recognize, pronounce, write, combine, and use Chinese characters in real sentences. Start building your Chinese character learning routine today. Privacy Policy: https://appiworker.com/hanzi_privacy_policy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Inkday

This app helps you learn and remember Chinese characters through spaced repetition flashcards. It allows you to import words from other apps and practice writing them on an iPad. Learn radicals and build custom copybooks for effective study.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Import words via share sheet
  • Character writing practice on iPad
  • Learn Kangxi radicals
  • Integrated dictionary
  • Customizable copybooks
Features
Read full description

Inkday helps you remember Chinese characters: you review cards a little every day until each word sticks. Your words come from what you read. Select a word in Safari or a book and tap Share. Inkday fills in the pinyin and keeps the sentence as a note on the card, so you remember where you met the word. FLASHCARDS The character is on the front. Pinyin, meaning and an example are on the back. Answer Again, Hard, Good or Easy, and Inkday decides when to show the card next: in a minute or in a few days. If you skip a session, your cards wait for you. WHAT TO LEARN TODAY The Today screen shows how many cards are due, how many days in a row you've studied, and what's coming up tomorrow. ALL 214 KANGXI RADICALS The radicals come ready in themed decks: People and the Body, Actions and Movement, Nature and the Elements. Start right away, no need to make your own cards. Once you know the radicals, new characters are easier to break down. DICTIONARY Search by character, pinyin or meaning. Turn any word into a card with one tap. WRITING ON IPAD You get the meaning and pinyin, and you write the character from memory with Apple Pencil. Inkday checks each stroke for position and order. Stuck? Tap Hint. COPYBOOKS ON IPAD Build a copybook from a single character or a whole sentence. First trace the model, then write over the outline, then from memory, in a 田字格 grid like a school exercise book. IPHONE AND IPAD Decks, progress and copybooks sync through iCloud. Save a word on your iPhone during your commute and practise writing it on your iPad in the evening.

Screenshots

Hanzi4 screens
Inkday4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Inkday at none against Hanzi's 3. Inkday also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Hanzi's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads 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. Hanzi sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Inkday asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hanzi ships an update every 3 weeks, Inkday every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Hanzi versus Inkday: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanziInkday
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer莹 蔡Yury Bogdanov

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Hanzi

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
None

Inkday

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hanzi free?
Hanzi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Inkday free?
Inkday is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hanzi or Inkday have ads?
Neither Hanzi nor Inkday shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hanzi or Inkday?
Hanzi ships an update every 3 weeks, and Inkday every 9 days. Most recently, Hanzi was updated on October 31, 2026 and Inkday on October 31, 2026.

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