Comparison

HanziBen vs Hanguru

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

Head to head
About

HanziBen

Features
Read full description

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 — 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 — 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 — moving from passive recognition to active production — 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 — 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 — progress is tracked separately in each. - Quick Access. 100 basic radicals (free) and the Survival Kit: 159 high-frequency connecting words (before, after, because, however…) grouped by what they do in a sentence. - My Hanzi — 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 — when you don't even know the reading — 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 — 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, 中文, Deutsch, Español, Français. - 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 — 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 — a real chance to feel how the app works before you decide. Pro — 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 — 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 你好 without looking it up — HanziBen is built for you. Start writing today. The first stroke is always the hardest. After that, it gets surprisingly addictive. 汉字本 — your Hanzi Notebook.

About

Hanguru

Master Korean language skills with this comprehensive educational app. It offers vocabulary, grammar, conversation practice, and pronunciation feedback, all accessible offline. Track your progress and stay motivated with daily challenges and leagues.

Highlights
  • Extensive vocabulary with spaced-repetition flashcards
  • TOPIK I & II grammar explanations and quizzes
  • Interactive role-play conversation practice
  • Pronunciation feedback with native audio comparison
  • Listening and reading comprehension exercises
  • Offline study mode
  • Gamified motivation features (streaks, leagues)
Features
Read full description

Hanguru is a free app to learn Korean, from your first Hangul letters to TOPIK I and TOPIK II. Study Korean in your own language: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai or Arabic. No subscriptions and no paywalls. KOREAN VOCABULARY 18,700+ words in small themed units, with spaced-repetition flashcards, example sentences and native audio. TOPIK GRAMMAR 820 grammar points for TOPIK I, TOPIK II and beyond, each with clear explanations, examples and quizzes. KOREAN CONVERSATIONS 140 role-play dialogues from beginner to master. Answer by choosing, ordering words or speaking, while your guardian character plays the other side. PRACTICE SPEAKING Say a word out loud and get instant feedback on your pronunciation, then compare your recording with the native audio. LISTENING & READING 820 reading passages with comprehension questions, listen to each one as Korean listening practice. Listening quizzes and matching games too. IDIOMS & PROVERBS 2,450+ Korean idioms and proverbs with meanings and examples. STUDY OFFLINE Download audio on Wi-Fi and keep learning without internet. STAY MOTIVATED Daily streaks, daily quests, friends and a weekly league. FREE SYNC Sign in with Apple or Google (optional) to keep your progress on your iPhone, iPad and computer, or start right away as a guest. Hanguru is free for everyone learning Korean.

Screenshots

HanziBen4 screens
Hanguru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hanguru at none against HanziBen's 1. Hanguru also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days). On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HanziBen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hanguru asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HanziBen ships an update every 8 days, Hanguru every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
HanziBen versus Hanguru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanziBenHanguru
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB62 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenjamin SZABOSeongjin Kim

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HanziBen

One-time1
  • Hanzi Ben Pro$9.99
None

Hanguru

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HanziBen free?
HanziBen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hanguru free?
Hanguru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HanziBen or Hanguru have ads?
Neither HanziBen nor Hanguru shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HanziBen or Hanguru?
HanziBen ships an update every 8 days, and Hanguru every 4 days. Most recently, HanziBen was updated on October 31, 2026 and Hanguru on November 6, 2026.

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