# CEDict vs Chinese Begin

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CEDict at none against Chinese Begin's 3. Chinese Begin's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 16 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chinese Begin sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. CEDict asks for nothing beyond the download.

CEDict ships an update every 16 months, Chinese Begin every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and July 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CEDict | Chinese Begin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 15 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mercury Software Japan Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/580775861) | [Wuhan Youhang Network Technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610955222) |

## What reviewers say

### CEDict

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cedict/id971975032)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chinese Begin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chinese-begin/id1610955220)

Master Chinese with interactive lessons covering listening, writing, and speaking. Practice grammar with quizzes and access live and micro-courses. Start with free video lessons and upgrade for full access to practice, quizzes, and live classes.

**Highlights:** Interactive listening exercises, Character stroke guidance for writing, Speech recording and scoring, Grammar quizzes, Live and micro-courses, Free video lessons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| membership for one month | $9.99 | one-time |
| membership for six months | $49.99 | one-time |
| membership for one year | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CEDict free?

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

### Is Chinese Begin free?

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

### Do CEDict or Chinese Begin have ads?

Neither CEDict nor Chinese Begin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CEDict or Chinese Begin?

CEDict ships an update every 16 months, and Chinese Begin every 3 weeks. Most recently, CEDict was updated on June 10, 2026 and Chinese Begin on July 25, 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.*