Best Chinese Characters Apps

198+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated July 2026

Finding the right chinese characters apps can be overwhelming with so many options. We've analyzed 198+ apps to bring you the best choices for 2026, from free options to premium solutions with advanced features.

Compare top Chinese Characters Apps (July 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Chinese Characters 汉字Chinese Characters 汉字Free4.7★ (212)NoYesAug 2026
2Pleco Chinese DictionaryPleco Chinese DictionaryFree4.7★ (1.9K)NoYesAug 2026
3Chineasy: Learn Chinese easilyChineasy: Learn Chinese easilyFree4.8★ (9.3K)YesYesJul 2026
4HanlyHanlyFree4.9★ (318)NoYesAug 2026
5Skritter: Write ChineseSkritter: Write ChineseFree4.7★ (806)NoYesAug 2026
6Chinese Stroke Order CharacterChinese Stroke Order CharacterFree4.5★ (650)YesYesAug 2026
7HelloChinese - Learn ChineseHelloChinese - Learn ChineseFree4.9★ (22K)NoYesAug 2026
8Du Chinese: Read&Learn ChineseDu Chinese: Read&Learn ChineseFree4.9★ (4.5K)NoYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Chinese Characters

Chinese Characters 汉字#1

Chinese Characters 汉字 by YOYASOFT LLC

Read and write characters
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.7(212 ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Chinese Characters 汉字 screenshot 1
Chinese Characters 汉字 screenshot 2
Chinese Characters 汉字 screenshot 3
Chinese Characters 汉字 screenshot 4
Chinese Characters 汉字 screenshot 5
Chinese Characters 汉字 screenshot 6

Learn to read and write thousands of Chinese characters with detailed instructions. Access free dictionaries, OCR translation, and Pinyin annotations for news articles. Covers HSK and AP Chinese exam requirements.

Pleco Chinese Dictionary#2

Pleco Chinese Dictionary by Pleco Inc.

Handwriting, OCR, flashcards
Strong Contender
🔍 Reference
4.7😊(1.9K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Pleco Chinese Dictionary screenshot 1
Pleco Chinese Dictionary screenshot 2
Pleco Chinese Dictionary screenshot 3
Pleco Chinese Dictionary screenshot 4
Pleco Chinese Dictionary screenshot 5

This app is a comprehensive tool for learning Chinese, offering integrated dictionaries, document reading, and flashcard features. It supports various input methods including handwriting and OCR, with extensive dictionary options and pronunciation guides.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Extremely helpful and useful
  • 👍 Comprehensive and detailed dictionary
  • 🔍 Excellent search and lookup features
  • 💡 Customizable and personalized experience

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Expensive add-ons and bundles
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and freezing issues
  • 🔍 Cluttered interface and navigation
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily#3

Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily by Chineasy

Map your way to learn Chinese
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.8😊(9.3K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily screenshot 1
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily screenshot 2
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily screenshot 3
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily screenshot 4
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily screenshot 5
Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily screenshot 6

Learn Chinese characters and vocabulary through visual aids and a unique building block method. This app breaks down the language into manageable lessons, making it easy to understand and remember, while also exploring Chinese culture. Suitable for all levels, it offers games and SRS reviews for efficient learning.

What We Love

  • 🎨 Beautiful and creative visuals
  • 💡 Innovative approach to learning characters
  • 👍 Engaging and fun learning experience
  • 🤓 Helpful cultural and historical insights

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Paywall after initial free levels
  • 🤔 Confusing mix of traditional and simplified characters
  • 📚 Lacking comprehensive review and testing features

More Chinese Characters apps to explore

4
Hanly
Hanly
Hanly
Chinese characters decoded
Free

Learn thousands of Chinese characters efficiently by understanding their structure and origin. This app uses visual breakdowns, engaging stories, and interactive elements to build an intuitive grasp of characters and aid memorization. It focuses on frequently used vocabulary and offers a structured learning progression.

Character etymology and mnemonicsInteractive component explorationStructured learning progression
📚 Education
(318)
free
5
Skritter: Write Chinese
Skritter: Write Chinese
Skritter: Write Chinese
Learn Mandarin vocabulary fast
Free

Master Mandarin characters through interactive writing practice. Learn meanings, readings, and tones with curated decks for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

Interactive character writing practiceLearn character meaning, reading, and toneTopic-based and difficulty-level decks
📚 Education
(806)
freemium
6
Chinese Stroke Order Character
Chinese Stroke Order Character
Chinese Stroke Order Character
Chinese Writing Practice
Free

Master Chinese character writing with animated stroke order guides. This app helps beginners learn to write characters correctly, offering features like Pinyin annotation, real voice pronunciation, and multi-language support. It's designed to make learning Chinese calligraphy systematic and efficient.

Animated stroke order guidesPinyin annotationReal voice pronunciation
🔍 Reference
(650)
free with in-app purchases
7
HelloChinese - Learn Chinese
HelloChinese - Learn Chinese
HelloChinese - Learn Chinese
#1 Chinese Learning App
Free

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.

Game-based learningGraded storiesImmersive lessons
📚 Education
(22K)
freemium
8
Du Chinese: Read&Learn Chinese
Du Chinese: Read&Learn Chinese
Du Chinese: Read&Learn Chinese
Read Mandarin at any level
Free

Learn Mandarin Chinese through engaging stories with integrated tools for reading and listening comprehension. Access definitions, pinyin, native audio, and translations instantly. Build vocabulary with a built-in dictionary and flashcards.

Extensive library of Mandarin storiesContent for all learning levelsInstant pinyin, definitions, and translations
📚 Education
(4.5K)
free with in-app purchases
9
ChineseSkill - Learn Chinese
ChineseSkill - Learn Chinese
ChineseSkill - Learn Chinese
#1 Mandarin & Cantonese App
Free

Master Mandarin Chinese with interactive lessons, smart reviews, and AI-powered speaking practice. Learn Pinyin, Hanzi, vocabulary, and grammar for work, travel, or HSK exams. Improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Gamified bite-sized lessonsNative-speaker audio & videoHandwriting practice
📚 Education
(15K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Chinese Writer by trainchinese
Chinese Writer by trainchinese
Chinese Writer by trainchinese
Learn to write Chinese
Free

Master Chinese writing through an engaging game where characters fall from the sky. Tap and draw correctly to score points, or lose a life. Review learned characters with stroke order diagrams and personalized testing.

Interactive character drawing gameStroke order diagramsPersonalized review of difficult characters
📚 Education
(377)
free with in-app purchases
11
CharacterMatrix: Learn Chinese
CharacterMatrix: Learn Chinese
CharacterMatrix: Learn Chinese
1000 Chinese characters
Free

Master the 1000 most common Chinese characters with this comprehensive learning tool. It provides example sentences, pronunciation, translations, and character summaries to aid fluency. Explore traditional and simplified characters with customizable display options and audio playback.

1000 most common charactersExample sentences with translationsPinyin pronunciation
📚 Education
(9)
free with in-app purchases
12
trainchinese
trainchinese
trainchinese
The best way to learn Chinese
Free

Learn Chinese with a comprehensive dictionary, flashcards, and OCR. Access example sentences, audio, and character animations. Supports both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, with customizable phonetic input.

Comprehensive Chinese dictionaryOptical Character Recognition (OCR)Spaced Repetition flashcard system
📚 Education
(2.2K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Chinese Hanzi Dictionary
Chinese Hanzi Dictionary
Chinese Hanzi Dictionary
A dictionary for beginners
Free

Learn to write, read, and speak Chinese characters (Hanzi). This app provides comprehensive knowledge including meanings, pronunciation, stroke order, and vocabulary. It's a valuable tool for beginners of all ages to aid in study, work, and travel.

Learn simplified and traditional ChineseAnimated character writing with stroke orderDetailed character information (pinyin, radicals, definitions)
📚 Education
(345)
free with in-app purchases
14
Daily Chinese: Grow Vocabulary
Daily Chinese: Grow Vocabulary
Daily Chinese: Grow Vocabulary
Learn Characters, Idioms, HSK
Free

This app uses a spaced-repetition algorithm to help you learn and retain Chinese vocabulary. It offers various question types, AI-generated example sentences, and word breakdowns to reinforce learning. Track your progress and build a strong foundation for mastering Chinese.

Spaced-repetition algorithmMultiple question typesAI example sentences
📚 Education
(234)
free with in-app purchases
15
Chinese Characters Daily
Chinese Characters Daily
Chinese Characters Daily
Learn Stroke Order Writing
Free

Learn new Chinese characters daily with animated stroke order guides and handwriting practice. Access HSK vocabulary, calligraphy tutorials, and a built-in dictionary. Features a home screen widget for continuous learning.

Daily character learningAnimated stroke orderHSK vocabulary lists
🔍 Reference
(2)
free with in-app purchases
16
HSK Hero - Chinese Characters
HSK Hero - Chinese Characters
HSK Hero - Chinese Characters
HSK1 HSK2 HSK3 HSK4 HSK5 HSK6
Free

Master thousands of Chinese words and characters with an interactive and gamified approach. Prepare for HSK exams or improve Mandarin fluency with offline access and native audio pronunciation.

Learn all HSK vocabulary (HSK 1-6)Effective recall and recognition learning methodNative Mandarin audio for pronunciation
📚 Education
(163)
free with in-app purchases
17
iLearn Chinese Characters Lite
iLearn Chinese Characters Lite
iLearn Chinese Characters Lite
Read and Write Chinese
Free

Learn Chinese characters through their pictographic origins. This app teaches the meaning behind characters and demonstrates correct writing strokes, allowing you to practice on your device. It's a fun and intuitive way for beginners to start reading and writing Chinese.

Pictographic origin explanationsWriting stroke demonstrationsOn-screen writing practice
📚 Education
(38)
free
18
Chinese - Mandarin Language
Chinese - Mandarin Language
Chinese - Mandarin Language
Dictionary & HSK Exams
Free

This app offers a comprehensive English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionary for Mandarin Chinese. It includes features like audio pronunciation, stroke animations, and example sentences to aid vocabulary expansion and exam preparation. Supports multiple languages for a broader learning experience.

English-Chinese dictionaryChinese-English dictionaryAudio pronunciation
🔍 Reference
(535)
ad-supported
19
Ginkgo: Learn Chinese Mandarin
Ginkgo: Learn Chinese Mandarin
Ginkgo: Learn Chinese Mandarin
Learn Chinese Characters & HSK
Free

Master Chinese characters and accelerate Mandarin learning with immersive video lessons and interactive flashcards. Explore etymology, history, and cultural significance for enhanced memorization and retention. Personalized learning adapts to your pace and style, featuring native pronunciation for accurate speaking.

Immersive video classes explaining character storiesInteractive flashcards with visual cues and color-coded tonesHSK vocabulary memorization (HSK 1-4)
📚 Education
(155)
free with in-app purchases
20
Chinese Mandarin Handwriting
Chinese Mandarin Handwriting
Chinese Mandarin Handwriting
Chinese Handwriting
Free

This app helps beginners learn Mandarin Chinese characters and their meanings. It provides animated stroke order, pinyin annotation, and real voice pronunciations to improve writing skills. Features include simplified/traditional conversion and handwriting recognition.

20,000+ Chinese strokes & meaningsPinyin annotationReal voice pronunciation
📚 Education
(41)
free with in-app purchases

FAQ about Chinese Characters

What are the best chinese characters apps for iPhone?
Chinese Characters 汉字 tops our chinese characters apps ranking as of July 2026, with a 4.7-star average from 212 App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 20 of the top chinese characters apps we rank are free to download, including Chinese Characters 汉字 and Pleco Chinese Dictionary.
Chinese Characters 汉字 has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of July 2026.
We track 198+ chinese characters apps on the iOS App Store as of July 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app helps you learn to read and write Chinese characters. It provides writing instructions for nearly 3000 characters, covering requirements for HSK levels 1-6 and AP Chinese exams. It also includes free translation tools and dictionaries.
Key features include detailed writing instructions for thousands of Chinese characters, coverage of official exam requirements, free Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for translating Chinese text, free English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries, and Pinyin annotation for reading news articles.

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