Comparison

Chinese Stories vs Learn Chinese

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chinese Stories

This app offers e-books designed for learning Mandarin Chinese at various proficiency levels. It provides interactive features like definitions, pinyin, and quizzes to enhance the learning experience.

Highlights
  • Interactive e-books for Mandarin learning
  • Definitions, pinyin, and HSK/TOP levels for words
  • Save unfamiliar words for later memorization
  • Hyperlinks for proper nouns to learn culture and history
  • Full English translation and pinyin for each story
  • Comprehension quizzes with progress tracking
  • Audio versions for listening practice
Read full description

If you are learning Mandarin Chinese, our monthly E-books will provide you with the best learning experiences. Now we have two different levels of E-book collection, which are Beginner, Elementary and Intermediate. As for Advanced level, it is coming soon in six months. You can purchase the E-book in accordance with your language proficiency. The language used is carefully selected to correspond to official levels. For texts in Simplified Chinese, the characters are chosen in accordance with New HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) and YCT (Youth Chinese Test) levels in Mainland China. Our Beginner level corresponds to New YCT level 2&3, Elementary level to New HSK level 3, and Intermediate level to New HSK level 4. As for Traditional Chinese version, the words used are also carefully chosen on the basis of the TOP (the Test of Proficiency-Huayu) standard in Taiwan. Our Elementary level corresponds to TOP elementary level, and Intermediate level to TOP intermediate level. As for Beginner level, each E-book has 5 stories, and each story contains 150~200 Chinese characters. Elementary E-book has 12 stories, and each story contains 250~300 Chinese characters. Intermediate E-book has 12 stories, and each story contains 450~500 Chinese characters. Our Chinese learning E-books have features as followed: 1. Click on a colored words, and we will show you its English definition, pinyin, part of speech, sentences, and its HSK/TOP level. 2. Click on “More,” and you get to know different meanings of the same word. 3. You can save words you don’t know or aren’t familiar with to memorize later. 4. Click on hyperlinks of proper nouns such as place names or celebrity names, and learn more about Chinese geography, culture, and history while reading Chinese stories. 5. Every story comes with full English translation and pinyin. 6. We track your progress. After reading each article, a five-question quiz will test how well your understanding of the story is and will keep a record of your first-time test result. 7. The audio version of each story enables you to listen to standard Chinese and to train your Chinese listening skill.

About

Learn Chinese

Master Mandarin Chinese with engaging stories and news articles tailored to your HSK level. Improve vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation through interactive tools and daily quizzes. Designed for learners from HSK1 to HSK4, it offers an immersive approach to fluency.

Highlights
  • Real-world news and stories
  • Vocabulary and flashcards
  • Pinyin and pronunciation helper
  • Instant dictionary and translation
  • Grammar explanations
  • Daily quizzes
  • Graded lessons
Features
Read full description

Master Chinese with Readle, the top-rated language-learning app offering real-world Mandarin Chinese news and stories to help you boost your skills from HSK1 beginner to HSK6 advanced levels. In just 10 minutes a day, you can learn Chinese vocabulary, pinyin, grammar, and more. Whether you want to expand your Mandarin Chinese skills for conversation, exams, or living in China, Readle makes it easy! Why Choose Readle? - Real-world news and stories tailored to your level (from HSK1 to HSK4) by Mandarin Chinese language experts. - Learn Chinese grammar and expand your vocabulary with our flashcards, quizzes, and interactive learning tools. - Achieve Chinese fluency quickly and effectively with our graded lessons, designed for ultimate language immersion. Download Readle FREE and start learning Chinese today! ============== Learn Mandarin Chinese with stories and news: Readle revolutionizes how you learn Chinese with engaging stories covering topics like travel, culture, food, and more. Our daily lessons and exercises will help you improve your reading, listening, grammar, and speaking abilities. Key Features: ► Learn Mandarin Through Immersion: Our scientifically-backed immersion method helps you learn Chinese faster. Dive into real-world news and stories that align with your HSK level, from HSK1 to HSK4. ► Chinese Pinyin Helper: Boost your reading comprehension with our pinyin support for Chinese characters. Learn to read and pronounce Chinese effectively with guidance on pinyin pronunciation. ► Perfect Pronunciation: With native speaker recordings, you’ll improve your pronunciation and fluency. Repeat after native Mandarin Chinese speakers to master Chinese tones and intonation. ► Instant Dictionary & Translation: Tap on any word to get instant translations and grammar explanations, eliminating the need for external tools like Pleco or Google Translate. This feature saves time and enhances your learning experience. ► Chinese Grammar Helper: Each story offers grammar tips that help you understand and apply Chinese grammar in context. Learn how grammar works by seeing it in action in various stories. ► Vocabulary & Flashcards: Create custom flashcards from words in the stories you read. Use our spaced repetition system to lock new words into long-term memory and expand your Chinese vocabulary. ► Daily Quizzes: Test your knowledge with quizzes that cover Chinese vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. Prepare for HSK exams with quizzes that simulate real test questions. ► Story Library with Daily Updates: Our library includes over 2000 stories across various topics, adding new content daily. Immerse yourself in Chinese through stories about: - Travel and Culture - Food and Restaurants - Science and Technology - Daily News and Entertainment …and more! Readle is the ultimate Chinese learning app for self-study, preparation for the HSK exam, or planning to live or visit China. Start your journey to mastering Chinese with Readle today! Do you have questions or feedback while learning Chinese with Readle? Contact us at support@readle-app.com. We are here to help! Privacy policy: https://readle-app.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of use: https://readle-app.com/term-of-use/

Screenshots

Chinese Stories4 screens
Learn Chinese4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Learn Chinese at 50% against Chinese Stories's 0%. Learn Chinese also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.8). Chinese Stories's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Learn Chinese sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Chinese Stories asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Learn Chinese holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Chinese Stories's written reviews are positive against 50% of Learn Chinese's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chinese Stories ships an update every 3 months, Learn Chinese every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chinese Stories versus Learn Chinese: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChinese StoriesLearn Chinese
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.8 (12 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB141 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChinese Stories Publishing Co., Ltd.A-Type Technologies

Customer experience

Chinese Stories

All ratings12 ratings
Positive16.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative93.3%

Learn Chinese

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chinese Stories

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Learn Chinese

Subscriptions3
  • Learn Chinese: Premium$12.991 Month
  • Readle Quarterly Subscription$44.993 Months
  • Learn Chinese: Premium7 Days trial$69.991 Year
One-time1
  • Readle Premium Lifetime$249.99

Questions

Is Chinese Stories free?
Chinese Stories is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Learn Chinese free?
Learn Chinese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chinese Stories or Learn Chinese?
Learn Chinese is rated higher. Chinese Stories averages 1.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Learn Chinese averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Chinese Stories or Learn Chinese have ads?
Learn Chinese shows ads; Chinese Stories does not.
Which is updated more often, Chinese Stories or Learn Chinese?
Chinese Stories ships an update every 3 months, and Learn Chinese every 4 months. Most recently, Chinese Stories was updated on June 11, 2026 and Learn Chinese on September 24, 2026.

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