iSiShu vs InstantSpeech
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iSiShu
Read full descriptionHide full description
iSiShu is a study environment for the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects, and Mencius. It is not a wrapped e-book. About 1257 passages and about 113 famous lines live on your device. No account. No ads. No tracking. No page-turn paywall. Understand a line, say it aloud, keep a daily habit. Three-layer close reading, recitation, Close Reading drills, Daily Saying, handwriting search, widgets, Lock Screen, Siri, Shortcuts, and deep links put the Four Books on the commute, before sleep, and beside class. Love the Classics, Live the Wisdom. 1. Library Browse by book, Analects books, Mencius parts, and authors Zengzi, Zisi, Confucius, and Mencius. About 16, 39, 512, and 690 units across the four works. Classical source. Original modern Chinese study notes, not a scholarly edition. English mainly from James Legge public-domain translations. Missing English is labeled and stepped down. Airplane mode works. An optional tip does not lock content. 2. Close reading Bilingual, Chinese only, or English only. Pinyin, Traditional glyphs, vertical layout, section paging, and a remembered line. Jump to a matching sentence from a famous line or link. Kai, Song, Hei, or system serif. Immersive mode. Quote cards with styles, notes, English, Photos, and share. Close Reading, glosses, and recitation check sit on the detail page. Display and speech are separate: read bilingual text while hearing only the source. Legge numbers split onto lines when counts align. Messy blocks and empty vernacular copies stay hidden. 3. Recitation Queue passages. Play source, vernacular, or English. Adjust speed. Background audio, silent-mode play, Lock Screen Now Playing, Live Activity. iPad landscape can use a right rail. Collections and lists start continuous recitation. Previous and next in the queue. 4. Study Fade recitation, fill-in, self-check, quiz, and mastery. Word Hunt finds a line from a keyword. Recitation Check uses the mic and system speech recognition on supported systems. On-device glosses fall back to built-in notes. A few lines a day. 5. Handwriting search On iPhone and iPad, draw a character. Recognition stays on device. Auto-search after a pause. Apple Pencil on iPad. Mac is for reading and recitation. 6. Daily Saying A contextual daily line, optional seasonal mix, refresh, local notification, Continue Reading. Streaks count days and progress in each book. 7. Organize List, grid, or cards. Filter by book, part, author, length, study status, favorites, or notes. Multiple reading lists. Multi-select to recite or batch-study. Notes export as text or Markdown. Optional iCloud sync. Local default. Tabs can hide. 8. Jump in Full-text search. Deep links can land on one sentence. Spotlight off by default. Widgets for Daily Saying, famous lines, progress, and favorites. Control Center, Siri, and Shortcuts open today, recitation, study, search, handwriting, and more. 9. iPad, Mac, polish Study, gloss, assessment, quote cards, and immersive reading can fill the window, with split panes. Theme, accent, language, and glyphs are independent. Eight iOS alternate icons. Onboarding and three guides. VoiceOver on key controls. Email feedback can prefill diagnostics. StandBy can show a line. Custom Home shortcuts. A short first-launch tour. iPhone for widgets and audio, iPad for handwriting and split study, Mac for a wide page. 10. Privacy and fit Offline first. No third-party analytics SDK. No social feed. No fortune-telling. A practice tool, not the sole academic base text. For readers who want the Four Books without membership walls, and for anyone who will recite or keep one saying a day. Not a giant ancient-text library. One job: daily practice. Open Daily Saying. Read, compare, recite, mark a little mastery. You do not have to finish today. Return tomorrow.
InstantSpeech
Read full descriptionHide full description
InstantSpeech is an AI oral-expression coach that helps you practice eloquence, public speaking, and Mandarin pronunciation. Rambling? Too many filler words? Speaking too fast? Record once, and the AI pinpoints exactly what to improve. Practice before an interview, a presentation, or a speech — and speak with confidence. How it works Record and transcribe: your speech becomes text instantly, ready for review Expression analytics: speech rate, pauses, filler words (um/ah), and vocabulary richness, computed automatically AI Coach: deep analysis of logic and recurring habits, with actionable tips Practice reports: every session is saved, so you can track your progress iCloud sync: your records flow across your devices Who it's for Job interviews: self-introductions, mock Q&A Workplace: reviews, meetings, pitches Public speaking: speeches, impromptu talks, contest prep Mandarin and English practice: pronunciation, reading aloud, tongue twisters Privacy and security Audio recordings are saved on your device and excluded from iCloud backup; when cloud transcription is used, audio chunks are uploaded over HTTPS solely to generate text in real time and are never retained AI analysis sends text only (no audio); nothing is stored on the server, and all traffic is HTTPS-encrypted No ads. No collection of your name, contacts, location, or other personal data Subscription The free version covers recording, transcription, and basic analytics (30 minutes per session, 5 sessions per day, 3 AI coaching sessions per month). InstantSpeech Pro (monthly subscription) unlocks unlimited recording time, 200 AI coaching sessions per month, and all advanced features. The subscription renews monthly automatically, and payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions — you keep Pro until the end of the current period.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: InstantSpeech at Free against iSiShu's $0.99. On ads, in-app purchases, device support 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
InstantSpeech is free to download; iSiShu costs $0.99 up front. iSiShu sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and InstantSpeech sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | iSiShu | InstantSpeech |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Update frequency | — | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 天从 何 | 博宇 徐 |
In-app purchases
iSiShu
- Reward developers$0.99
InstantSpeech
- Monthly$1.991 Month









