Comparison

Hanzi Time vs HSK Lockscreen

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

Head to head
About

Hanzi Time

Learn Chinese vocabulary effortlessly by glancing at your phone's home screen. This app displays common words, their pronunciation, and meaning through customizable widgets, integrating learning into your daily routine without distractions.

Highlights
  • Home screen widgets for learning
  • 5,000 most common words/phrases
  • Native audio pronunciation
  • Customizable word display frequency
  • Distraction-free interface
  • Offline learning
Features
Read full description

Learn Chinese from your home screen. Hanzi Time turns idle glances at your phone into fluency. A clean widget shows one common Chinese word at a time — big character, pinyin, and meaning — spaced through the hours you choose, so you learn without opening an app. • 5,000 of the most common words and phrases, ordered by real-world frequency • Native audio pronunciation for every word • Choose how many words per day and your active hours • Minimal, distraction-free widget in standard and translucent glass styles • No accounts, no ads, no data collection — everything stays on your device HOW IT WORKS Add the widget to your home screen and pick your settings: how many new words a day, and the hours you're awake. Hanzi Time spaces the day's words evenly across that window, so a new word is waiting each time you glance at your phone — and nothing arrives while you're asleep. Words are ordered by how often they actually appear in real Chinese, so you learn the most useful vocabulary first. Tap any word in the app to hear it pronounced. HANZI TIME PRO Pro unlocks all 5,000 words, native audio for every one, and Focus mode — drill just the top 50, top 100, or any set of words you've saved. One purchase, yours forever. No subscription.

About

HSK Lockscreen

Features
Read full description

HSK Lockscreen puts one exam word on your iPhone Lock Screen and Home Screen. Open the widget gallery, search “HSK”, and add HSK Word. Each day (or on a schedule you pick) your widget rotates through your chosen words. Choose a rectangular or Home Screen widget to see hanzi, pinyin and a short meaning; compact styles show less detail. Tap a word to open its details. Study offline with HSK 2.0 vocabulary, no account required. Menus are available in English and Simplified Chinese. Meanings are available in English for all levels and Simplified Chinese for HSK 1–3. Purchases and restores require an App Store connection. Free • HSK 1 and HSK 2 lists • Lock Screen widgets: rectangular, inline, circular • Home Screen widgets: small and medium • Browse by level, search, and favorites • Choose the levels to review on your widget Pro — one-time purchase • Unlock HSK 3–6 word lists, meanings, pronunciation, favorites and widgets • Restore purchases using the same Apple Account Build a small review habit with quick vocabulary practice throughout your day.

Screenshots

Hanzi Time4 screens
HSK Lockscreen4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hanzi Time and HSK Lockscreen are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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 Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HSK Lockscreen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Hanzi Time versus HSK Lockscreen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanzi TimeHSK Lockscreen
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB4 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperYuxiao Zhang磊磊 张

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hanzi Time

One-time1
  • Hanzi Time Pro$7.99
1 purchases

HSK Lockscreen

One-time1
  • HSK Lockscreen Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Hanzi Time free?
Hanzi Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HSK Lockscreen free?
HSK Lockscreen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hanzi Time or HSK Lockscreen have ads?
Neither Hanzi Time nor HSK Lockscreen shows ads.

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