Comparison

Hanzi Radical Keyboard vs Chineschar

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

Head to head
About

Hanzi Radical Keyboard

This system keyboard allows you to find and type Chinese characters by their visual radicals, even if you don't know their pronunciation. It helps identify characters, learn their structure, and input uncommon Hanzi directly into any app.

Highlights
  • System keyboard input
  • Radical lookup
  • Remaining-stroke filtering
  • Traditional variant support
  • Character details
  • Copy and insert
Features
Read full description

When you cannot read a Chinese character, a Pinyin keyboard often stops being useful. Chinese Character Radicals turns radical lookup into a system keyboard, so you can find Hanzi by shape and type them in any app. Choose the visible radical in the keyboard, narrow the results by remaining strokes and traditional variants, then insert the character directly into the current text field. The main app provides a radical index, character details, stroke information, copy actions, and a keyboard setup guide, making lookup and input smoother. Download Chinese Character Radicals and bring radical-based lookup and Hanzi input into everyday typing. Chinese Character Radicals is built for moments when you do not know the pronunciation, cannot use Pinyin, or only remember how a character looks. Whether you are chatting, writing, taking notes, or learning Chinese characters, you can start from the radical, narrow the range like using a dictionary, and find the Hanzi you need. Key features: • System keyboard input After setup, use it in any app that supports text input and switch to the Chinese Character Radicals keyboard with the globe key. • Radical lookup Find Chinese characters from common radicals without knowing the pronunciation first. • Remaining-stroke filtering Narrow candidates by the number of strokes after the radical and reach the target character faster. • Traditional variant support View and input traditional-related forms, useful when working with simplified, traditional, or variant Chinese characters. • Character details See the radical, stroke count, pronunciation, meaning, Unicode information, and available stroke order data, helping you recognize Chinese characters and learn how they are written. • Copy and insert Copy characters in the main app, or insert them directly into the current text field from the keyboard. • No Full Access required Chinese Character Radicals does not request “Full Access” and focuses on local character lookup and input. Useful when you need to: • Identify a Chinese character you can see but cannot read • Learn Chinese character structure while studying • Understand radicals, stroke counts, and stroke order • Type uncommon Hanzi in chats, notes, or documents • Work with traditional or variant character forms • Use a Chinese input tool based on visible character shape Chinese Character Radicals is not a replacement for Pinyin input. It fills the step that Pinyin keyboards handle poorly: when you do not know how a character is read, you can still begin from the visible shape, find it, understand it, and type it.

About

Chineschar

Master Chinese characters with animated stroke order, writing practice, pronunciation, and meanings. Includes classic literature and HSK vocabulary. Customize your learning plan and practice offline.

Highlights
  • Animated stroke order and writing guides
  • Pronunciation and meaning details
  • Built-in classic literature and HSK vocabulary
  • Powerful search for characters and pinyin
  • Customizable learning plans and settings
  • Offline access
Read full description

This is a comprehensive, simple, and fun Chinese character learning software that can help you recognize Chinese characters and master their stroke order, writing methods, pronunciation, structure, radicals, meanings, and words. It uses animations to vividly teach you how to write beautiful and standardized Chinese characters. You can also directly write or copy characters within the software, which is the best way to practice. It also comes with classic Chinese literature such as the Three Character Classic, the Hundred Family Surnames, and the Thousand Character Classic, as well as HSK vocabulary for Chinese language proficiency tests. You can customize your learning plan and start learning Chinese characters as soon as you open the software. This software also has a powerful search function that supports direct searching for Chinese characters and pinyin,, allowing you to quickly find the characters you want. The software also supports collecting characters, organizing them into categories for easy review. You can also customize settings such as stroke animation speed, sound effects, handwriting line width, and character background to suit your preferences. Features: Comprehensive functions: stroke animations, pinyin, radicals, structure, meanings, Chinese language, phrases, idioms, and traditional Chinese characters are all covered. Animations and handwriting: animations are vivid and handwriting and copying help you learn Chinese characters faster. Built-in courses: classic Chinese literature and poetry, HSK vocabulary are all included. You can start learning as soon as you open the software, and click on any character to see its details. Powerful search: supports searching for Chinese characters, pinyin, homophones, traditional characters, and image recognition. Categorized collection: collect and organize characters to build your knowledge system. Customizable settings to suit your preferences. Free: no need to spend money, no in-app purchases. Offline: can be used without an internet connection. Do you want to learn Chinese? Do you want to learn how to write Chinese characters? Try this software now! Download it for free and have a great helper for learning Chinese characters

Screenshots

Hanzi Radical Keyboard4 screens
Chineschar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chineschar at Free against Hanzi Radical Keyboard's $4.99. Hanzi Radical Keyboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Chineschar is free to download; Hanzi Radical Keyboard costs $4.99 up front. Chineschar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hanzi Radical Keyboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 5 level
Hanzi Radical Keyboard versus Chineschar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanzi Radical KeyboardChineschar
Price$4.99Free — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB212 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer晶晶 殷浩 张

In-app purchases

None

Hanzi Radical Keyboard

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chineschar

One-time1
  • Permanent Member$14.99

Questions

Is Hanzi Radical Keyboard free?
Hanzi Radical Keyboard costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chineschar free?
Chineschar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Hanzi Radical Keyboard or Chineschar have ads?
Neither Hanzi Radical Keyboard nor Chineschar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hanzi Radical Keyboard or Chineschar?
Hanzi Radical Keyboard ships an update every 2 months, and Chineschar every 2 months. Most recently, Hanzi Radical Keyboard was updated on October 29, 2026 and Chineschar on November 4, 2026.

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