OptimalChinese vs Hanguru
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
OptimalChinese
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Every sentence you study is built from the words you already know, plus exactly one new notion. That is the whole idea: nothing you read is above your level, so you understand it the first time โ and you remember it. EVERY SENTENCE IS ONE STEP UP When a new word or rule comes up, the example around it is assembled from vocabulary you have already learned. One unknown per sentence, never five. NEVER FORGET Every word and every rule is scheduled with FSRS-6, the modern spaced-repetition algorithm, and comes back at the last useful moment โ so a notion learned once is not learned three times. NEVER CONFUSE Look anything up and see how it is built: the characters a word is made of, the words it combines into, its measure words, and the siblings that are easy to mix up. Link two confusable entries and they are taught apart. FOR EACH ASPECT Reading, listening and writing are different skills, so each gets its own card and its own schedule. A word you can read but not hear keeps coming back in your ears until you can. CUSTOMIZE YOUR PATH Follow HSK 1โ5 lesson by lesson, or pick from hundreds of themes and learn the vocabulary of what you actually talk about. Tell the app where you are and it plans the rest. IMPORT WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE Bring in an Anki deck or a Pleco export, or start from your HSK level in one screen. What you already know is merged with what the app teaches, instead of starting you from zero. YOUR CLASSES, IN THE APP Share a private space with your teacher. Anything either of you saves during a lesson โ a word, a phrase, a correction โ is waiting in your reviews afterwards. AN AI TUTOR THAT KNOWS YOUR LEVEL Ask why a sentence works the way it does, and get an answer written for the vocabulary you actually have. ALSO โข Native audio on every word, sentence and example โข Dictation using your iPhone's own speech recognition โข A dictionary that searches on the device, instantly โข Your own cards and phrases, alongside the built-in ones โข Dark mode, haptics, and a layout made for one hand SUBSCRIPTION OptimalChinese Pro unlocks everything: $12.99 per month or $79.99 per year, after a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the free trial ends, and the subscription renews automatically unless it is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.optimalchinese.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.optimalchinese.com/privacy
Hanguru
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Hanguru is a free app to learn Korean, from your first Hangul letters to TOPIK I and TOPIK II. Study Korean in English, Spanish or Japanese, with no subscriptions and no paywalls. KOREAN VOCABULARY 18,000+ 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 70 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 264 reading passages with comprehension questions, listen to each one as Korean listening practice. Listening quizzes and matching games too. IDIOMS & PROVERBS 2,400+ 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 and computer, or start right away as a guest. Hanguru is free for everyone learning Korean.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hanguru at none against OptimalChinese's 2. OptimalChinese's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. OptimalChinese sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Hanguru asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | OptimalChinese | Hanguru |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | โ | Every 4 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No โ better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 โ better | 16.4 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lucas Costagliola | Seongjin Kim |
In-app purchases
OptimalChinese
- Monthly7 Days trial$12.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Hanguru
No in-app purchases









