# CMU MOBILE vs HelloChinese

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HelloChinese at 95% against CMU MOBILE's 14%. HelloChinese also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (24K vs 2). CMU MOBILE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HelloChinese sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. CMU MOBILE asks for nothing beyond the download.

HelloChinese holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HelloChinese has 24K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of CMU MOBILE's written reviews are positive against 95% of HelloChinese's.

CMU MOBILE ships an update every 3 weeks, HelloChinese weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMU MOBILE | HelloChinese |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmu-mobile/id946339651/reviews) | **[4.9 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellochinese-learn-chinese/id1001507516/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **24K** |
| Positive reviews | 13.7% of reviews | **94.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#108** |
| Size | 52 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chiang Mai University](https://appshunter.io/developer/1650348275) | [HelloChinese Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1001507515) |

## What reviewers say

### CMU MOBILE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmu-mobile/id946339651)

This official university application provides access to news, events, and various services. It acts as a portal, connecting users to the university's technological resources and information.

**Highlights:** University news updates, Event listings, Access to university services, Information portal, Technological resource connection

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### HelloChinese

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

**Currently charting:** #108 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HelloChinese Premium | $11.99 | 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 |

**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 CMU MOBILE free?

CMU MOBILE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HelloChinese free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CMU MOBILE or HelloChinese?

HelloChinese is rated higher. CMU MOBILE averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while HelloChinese averages 4.9 from 24K ratings.

### Do CMU MOBILE or HelloChinese have ads?

Neither CMU MOBILE nor HelloChinese shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CMU MOBILE or HelloChinese?

CMU MOBILE ships an update every 3 weeks, and HelloChinese weekly. Most recently, CMU MOBILE was updated on November 1, 2026 and HelloChinese on November 9, 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.*