# Inkstone vs Bamlu

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bamlu at every 2 days against Inkstone's every 3 days. Inkstone's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Inkstone sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Bamlu sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Inkstone ships an update every 3 days, Bamlu every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Inkstone | Bamlu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkstone-learn-chinese/id6799497723/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 168 MB | 191 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Conder Shou](https://appshunter.io/developer/6799497725) | [ALBERT STEEN FELDT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864344212) |

## What reviewers say

### Inkstone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inkstone-learn-chinese/id6799497723)

Learn Chinese through classic stories and poems. Offers detailed explanations, translations, and audio pronunciations for every word and sentence. Supports offline reading and vocabulary saving.

**Highlights:** Classic Chinese stories and poems, Modern Chinese retellings, Audio narration with pinyin, Tap-to-translate words, Sentence-by-sentence translation, Offline reading support, Vocabulary saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inkstone Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Inkstone Annual | $59.99 | per year |


### Bamlu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bamlu/id6815228696)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BAMLU Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| BAMLU Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Inkstone free?

Inkstone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bamlu free?

Bamlu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Inkstone or Bamlu have ads?

Both Inkstone and Bamlu show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Inkstone or Bamlu?

Inkstone ships an update every 3 days, and Bamlu every 2 days. Most recently, Inkstone was updated on October 22, 2026 and Bamlu on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*