# ChineseSkill vs Chinese 101

The clearest difference is rating: ChineseSkill at 4.8 against Chinese 101's 4.4. ChineseSkill also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (15K vs 8). Chinese 101's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 90%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChineseSkill sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Chinese 101 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ChineseSkill holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChineseSkill has 15K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of ChineseSkill's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chinese 101's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ChineseSkill ships an update every 5 days, Chinese 101 monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and July 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChineseSkill | Chinese 101 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chineseskill-learn-chinese/id777111034/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-101-learn-to-write/id6578424672/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 388 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [YIYAN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/938083469) | [Aspul Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1670473385) |

## What reviewers say

### ChineseSkill

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chineseskill-learn-chinese/id777111034)

Master Mandarin Chinese with interactive lessons, smart reviews, and AI-powered speaking practice. Learn Pinyin, Hanzi, vocabulary, and grammar for work, travel, or HSK exams. Improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

**Highlights:** Gamified bite-sized lessons, Native-speaker audio & video, Handwriting practice, Spaced Repetition System (SRS), AI Tutor with speech assessment, HSK preparation tools, Travel phrasebook

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly premium subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Quarterly subscription | $13.99 | per 3 months |
| Full Access (1 month) | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium+ (Monthly) | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium (Quarterly) | $25.99 | per 3 months |
| Quarterly premium subscription | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium+ (Quarterly) | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium (Annual) | $59.99 | per year |
| Annual Chinese Learning Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Full Access (1 Year) | $79.99 | per year |
| Full Access (1 Year) | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium+ (Annual) | $99.99 | per year |
| Lifetime membership | $159.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime membership premium | $299.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime membership | $399.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for learning Chinese
- 🚀 Comprehensive and effective learning approach
- 💡 Helpful explanations and grammar notes
- 👍 Engaging and fun learning experience
- 👍 Versatile features (pinyin, characters, writing practice)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription cancellation and account issues
- 💰 Paid subscription required to access all features
- 🤔 Some lessons feel repetitive or lack progression
- 💬 Desire for more audio/speech practice features

**Reported bugs**

- Issues with syncing progress across devices
- Screen elements getting cut off on iPhone X
- Inconsistencies in lesson content and translations

**Requested features**

- Add more male voice options
- Improve lesson navigation and progress tracking
- Introduce gamification elements for motivation
- Provide more flexibility in disabling English translations


### Chinese 101

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-101-learn-to-write/id6578424672)

Master Chinese characters through interactive tracing and pronunciation exercises. Features multiple learning modes, quizzes, and a memory game to reinforce knowledge. Share your progress and learn in an ad-free environment.

**Highlights:** Interactive character tracing, Pronunciation guidance, Multiple learning modes (Easy, Normal, Freestyle), Character quizzes, Memory Flip Game, Progress sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Characters Pack | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChineseSkill free?

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

### Is Chinese 101 free?

Chinese 101 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ChineseSkill or Chinese 101?

ChineseSkill is rated higher. ChineseSkill averages 4.8 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Chinese 101 averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do ChineseSkill or Chinese 101 have ads?

Neither ChineseSkill nor Chinese 101 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChineseSkill or Chinese 101?

ChineseSkill ships an update every 5 days, and Chinese 101 monthly. Most recently, ChineseSkill was updated on September 23, 2026 and Chinese 101 on July 22, 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.*