HanziBen vs ScriptPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
HanziBen
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Write Chinese characters by hand, then flip the card: Composition shows the parts, History shows seal script to regular script. HSK 3.0 Writing and Vocab, Radical Ben (100 radical families), Hanzi Ben, and your own My Hanzi list. Stroke order, etymology, offline. No account, no ads, no subscription. Pay once for Pro. HanziBen β Learn Chinese by writing, not by tapping. Other Chinese apps make you guess. You tap multiple choice. You match flashcards. You feel like you're learning β until you pick up a pen and your hand has no idea what to do. HanziBen flips that around. You write every character with your finger, stroke by stroke, on a generous practice canvas with elegant guides. That single change β moving from passive recognition to active production β is what turns short-term memory into permanent knowledge. The science is well established: motor memory cements characters in a way tapping never will. Why HanziBen is different - Handwriting-first, always. The canvas isn't a feature β it's the whole point. Every card is a chance to actually write the character. Stroke order, a faint Ghost guide, and on-device Check are built in. - Five curricula, one app. Hanzi Ben starts as a beginner path (pronouns, particles, then family, time, and everyday life) and continues through Society & World, Abstract & Advanced, and Mastery. Radical Ben teaches 100 radical families: the component first, then the characters that use it. HSK 3.0 Writing, HSK 3.0 Vocab, and your own My Hanzi list. Switch any time β progress is tracked separately in each. - Quick Access. 100 basic radicals (free) and the Survival Kit: 159 high-frequency connecting words (before, after, because, howeverβ¦) grouped by what they do in a sentence. - My Hanzi β your own list. Type English, Pinyin, or characters (space-separated compounds work too). The app builds a practice list and shows unmatched words so you know what to retry. - Find any character - Type Pinyin, type English, use your voice, or β when you don't even know the reading β just draw the character and let the app find it. Recent searches keep your last lookups one tap away. - Flip the card, not a wiki. Composition shows how the character is built. History shows Seal Script, simplification, and frequency. Every card also has a short, hand-curated mnemonic, stroke count, and a mini dictionary β so each character becomes a small story instead of a random shape. - Built-in progress, streaks and milestones. See what you've mastered, what needs review, and keep your daily writing streak alive. Blindspots filters a deck down to what you haven't learned yet. - Made to live with. Paper-and-ink aesthetic, beautiful Chinese typography, light and dark themes, and five interface languages: English, δΈζ, Deutsch, EspaΓ±ol, FranΓ§ais. - Your progress, your data. Everything lives on your device. Export a full backup to a JSON file any time, restore it on a new phone. No account required. Free version β generous, not crippled Try HanziBen with the first 2 chapters of every curriculum, the 100-card Radicals deck, and a 10-character My Hanzi list. No timers, no ads, no nagging β a real chance to feel how the app works before you decide. Pro β one-time purchase, no subscription Unlock every chapter of every curriculum, an unlimited My Hanzi list, and full lifetime access. Pay once. Own it. Who HanziBen is for Beginners who want to start the right way β by writing from day one. Intermediate learners who recognise characters but can't reproduce them. HSK candidates who need the writing component locked in. Heritage learners reconnecting with the script. Anyone who has ever closed a flashcard app feeling like they didn't really learn anything. If you've tried "the big ones" and walked away frustrated that you still can't write δ½ ε₯½ without looking it up β HanziBen is built for you. Start writing today. The first stroke is always the hardest. After that, it gets surprisingly addictive. ζ±εζ¬ β your Hanzi Notebook.
ScriptPad
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ScriptPad is a complete Arabic learning app with over 2,000 words, all with clear, natural audio. Start with the full Arabic alphabet, then build your vocabulary through structured units, and practice everything by writing it by hand. ARABIC BASICS All 28 letters in every positional form β isolated, initial, medial, and final β plus short vowel marks and Arabic numerals, with animated stroke order guides. Learn each letter by name, from alif to yaa, and see exactly how letters connect and change shape within words. Trace each stroke on the drawing canvas and build real muscle memory. VOCABULARY Over 2,000 Arabic words organized into structured units, from everyday objects and food to actions and describing words. Every word plays audio with clear, natural pronunciation, so you learn correct sounds from the start. Flashcards and handwriting practice for everything. WRITE BY HAND A drawing canvas for every word and letter. Character outlines guide your strokes. Stroke order animations show exactly how each letter is written, right to left the way Arabic is really taught β including how each letter changes at the beginning, middle, and end of a word. Works beautifully with Apple Pencil on iPad. SPEAK AND PLAY Record yourself and compare your pronunciation. Make words stick with games: picture matching, character building, bingo, word blocks, word invaders and more. FEATURES 2,000+ Arabic words with clear, natural audio Complete Arabic alphabet: 28 letters in all positional forms, vowel marks, and numerals Stroke order animations for every letter form Learn how letters connect and change shape Flashcards and handwriting practice Speak and compare pronunciation recording 6 practice games Word meanings in English, Chinese, Korean and more iPad Writing Mode with Apple Pencil support 14 page themes Works on iPhone and iPad Fully offline, no internet required One time purchase, no subscription Whether you are starting with your very first Arabic letter or building real vocabulary, ScriptPad is your Arabic writing practice app. Start writing Arabic today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: HanziBen at every 5 days against ScriptPad's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. HanziBen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ScriptPad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
HanziBen ships an update every 5 days, ScriptPad monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HanziBen | ScriptPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days β better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 β better |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 142 MB | 148 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Benjamin SZABO | Hugo Alberto Garza Jr |
In-app purchases
HanziBen
- Hanzi Ben Pro$9.99
ScriptPad
- Arabic Learning Premium$4.99









