# Drops vs HelloChinese

The clearest difference is ads: HelloChinese at none against Drops's shown. HelloChinese also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 75%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Drops's advantage is ratings volume (72K vs 23K). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drops sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and HelloChinese sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HelloChinese holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 72K and 23K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Drops's written reviews are positive against 95% of HelloChinese's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drops | HelloChinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (72K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drops-language-learning-games/id939540371/reviews) | **[4.9 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **72K** | 23K |
| Positive reviews | 74.6% of reviews | **94.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #161 | **#69** |
| Size | 191 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PLANB LABS OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/527215806) | [HelloChinese Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1001507515) |

## What reviewers say

### Drops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drops-language-learning-games/id939540371)

**Currently charting:** #161 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Learn new languages through engaging games and visual aids. Practice vocabulary and common phrases in over 55 languages, from beginner to expert levels. Track progress, unlock achievements, and enjoy professionally curated lessons with native speaker pronunciations.

**Highlights:** Gamified vocabulary learning, Visual learning aids, 55+ language options, Progress tracking and rewards, Native speaker pronunciations, Customizable learning goals

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Genius for a month | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Curious for a month | $22.99 | per month |
| Holiday premium! | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium | $62.99 | per year |
| Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| All Language Learning Plans | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $89.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Unlimited time for all Languages! | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Vocabulary learning
- 👍 Unique and engaging learning activities
- 👍 Wide range of languages
- 👍 Customizable learning experience
- 👍 Effective for building vocabulary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate translations or pronunciations
- 🔒 Subscription model issues
- 👎 Limited to vocabulary, lacks grammar/sentence structure
- 👎 Repetitive and not enough variety in exercises

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and lost progress
- Crashes and performance problems

**Requested features**

- Add more grammar and sentence-level learning
- Improve accuracy of translations and pronunciations
- Provide more flexibility in time limits and review sessions
- Integrate more conversational practice
- Improve user interface and navigation


### HelloChinese

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a fun and effective way to learn Mandarin Chinese from beginner to conversational levels. It combines game-based lessons, stories, videos, and speech recognition to help you master pronunciation, characters, and practical conversations while exploring Chinese culture.

**Highlights:** Game-based learning, Graded stories, Immersive lessons, Video lessons, Speech recognition, Character handwriting, HSK level courses

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HelloChinese Premium | $11.99 | per month |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $16.99 | per month |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $19.99 | per month |
| HelloChinese Premium | $25.99 | per 3 months |
| HelloChinese Premium | $48.99 | per year |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $62.99 | per 6 months |
| HelloChinese Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $89.99 | per 6 months |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $104.99 | per year |
| HelloChinese Premium+ | $149.99 | per year |
| 300 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 750 coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1650 coins | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to learn
- 👍 Engaging and fun
- 👍 Helpful for beginners
- 👍 Good for pronunciation practice
- 👍 Useful for learning Chinese characters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent speech recognition
- 🐛 Audio quality issues in some videos
- 💰 Paywall limits access to full content
- 💰 Premium subscription is expensive

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional login issues
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- More advanced lessons beyond HSK3
- Option to toggle pinyin on a per-word basis
- Improved review system with more customization
- Addition of traditional Chinese characters
- More real-life conversation practice


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drops free?

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

### Is HelloChinese free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Drops or HelloChinese?

HelloChinese is rated higher. Drops averages 4.7 out of 5 from 72K ratings, while HelloChinese averages 4.9 from 23K ratings.

### Do Drops or HelloChinese have ads?

Drops shows ads; HelloChinese does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drops or HelloChinese?

Drops ships an update weekly, and HelloChinese weekly. Most recently, Drops was updated on September 25, 2026 and HelloChinese on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Drops or HelloChinese?

Drops currently peaks at #161 in the App Store charts, and HelloChinese at #69. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*