# HSK（新汉语水平考试） vs TextbookShelf

The clearest difference is ads: TextbookShelf at none against HSK（新汉语水平考试）'s shown. TextbookShelf also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 35 months). HSK（新汉语水平考试）'s advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HSK（新汉语水平考试） sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TextbookShelf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HSK（新汉语水平考试） ships an update every 35 months, TextbookShelf every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HSK（新汉语水平考试） | TextbookShelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsk/id921871693/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 662 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [国伟 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/767370833) | [献慧 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896370005) |

## What reviewers say

### HSK（新汉语水平考试）

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hsk/id921871693)

Master Chinese character writing with correct stroke order. This app helps learners of all HSK levels practice writing accurately, following a recognized standard. New books are added regularly to cover all HSK levels 1-6.

**Highlights:** Correct stroke order guidance, Practice writing common Chinese characters, Covers HSK levels 1-6, Follows national character standards, Regularly updated content

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads. | $4.99 | one-time |


### TextbookShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textbookshelf-pdf-reader/id6821245633)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lifetime | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HSK（新汉语水平考试） free?

HSK（新汉语水平考试） is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is TextbookShelf free?

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

### Do HSK（新汉语水平考试） or TextbookShelf have ads?

HSK（新汉语水平考试） shows ads; TextbookShelf does not.

### Which is updated more often, HSK（新汉语水平考试） or TextbookShelf?

HSK（新汉语水平考试） ships an update every 35 months, and TextbookShelf every 3 weeks. Most recently, HSK（新汉语水平考试） was updated on November 1, 2026 and TextbookShelf on November 6, 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.*