Best Chinese Characters Study Apps

206+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.4 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated May 2026

From beginner-friendly picks to power-user tools, our chinese characters study list covers 206+ iPhone apps updated through May 2026. Compare ratings, prices, and screenshots in one place.

Compare top Chinese Characters Study Apps (May 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1iLearn Chinese Characters LiteiLearn Chinese Characters LiteFree4.4★ (38)NoNoJul 2026
2I Learn Chinese CharactersI Learn Chinese Characters$4.994.6★ (28)NoNoMay 2026
3Chineasy: Learn Chinese easilyChineasy: Learn Chinese easilyFree4.8★ (9.3K)YesYesJul 2026
4Chinese Character Study IChinese Character Study IFreeYesYesMay 2026
5trainchinesetrainchineseFree4.7★ (2.1K)YesYesJul 2026
6Chinese Writer by trainchineseChinese Writer by trainchineseFree4.6★ (375)NoYesJul 2026
7HSK Hero - Chinese CharactersHSK Hero - Chinese CharactersFree4.4★ (163)NoYesJul 2026
8Chinese Characters 汉字Chinese Characters 汉字Free4.7★ (212)NoYesJul 2026

Top Picks for Chinese Characters Study

iLearn Chinese Characters Lite#1

iLearn Chinese Characters Lite by YOYASOFT LLC

Read and Write Chinese
Editor's Choice
📚 Education
4.4(38 ratings)
Free
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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.

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
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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 Study apps to explore

4
Chinese Character Study I
Chinese Character Study I
Chinese Character Study I
Best Chinese Character Study
Free
📚 Education
(0)
5
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
(2.1K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Chinese Writer by trainchinese
Chinese Writer by trainchinese
Chinese Writer by trainchinese
Play to learn Chinese writing!
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
(375)
free with in-app purchases
7
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
8
Chinese Characters 汉字
Chinese Characters 汉字
Chinese Characters 汉字
Read and write characters
Free

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.

Writing instructions for 3000+ charactersHSK and AP Chinese exam coverageFree OCR for Chinese text translation
📚 Education
(212)
free with in-app purchases
9
洪恩识字-儿童识字启蒙必备
洪恩识字-儿童识字启蒙必备
洪恩识字-儿童识字启蒙必备
3-8岁儿童识字阅读学习必备
Free

This app makes learning Chinese characters fun and engaging for young children. It uses animations, songs, interactive activities, and original picture books to teach over 1,300 common characters and 50 idioms. Personalized learning paths and data analysis help tailor the experience to each child's needs.

1300 Chinese Characters130 Original Picture Books50 Chinese Idioms with Videos
📚 Education
(5.7K)
subscription
10
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
11
Learn Chinese Easily
Learn Chinese Easily
Learn Chinese Easily
Study Chinese Lesson Games
Free

This app offers a relaxing and interactive method for learning Chinese. It uses games that connect words with images and includes pronunciation to aid understanding. Track your progress and test your knowledge with a summary and rating.

Interactive word-image associationPronunciation supportProgress tracking
📚 Education
(1.8K)
free with in-app purchases
12
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
(800)
freemium
13
Pleco Chinese Dictionary
Pleco Chinese Dictionary
Pleco Chinese Dictionary
Handwriting, OCR, flashcards
Free

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.

Integrated dictionaries with over 110,000 entriesFull-screen handwriting inputLive OCR for word lookup
🔍 Reference
(1.9K)
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
(231)
free with in-app purchases
15
Chinese strokes order lookup
Chinese strokes order lookup
Chinese strokes order lookup
How to write Chinese character
Free

Learn to write Chinese characters with correct stroke order. Practice handwriting on screen with real-time feedback and access a comprehensive radical table. This lightweight, offline app supports both simplified and traditional Chinese.

Learn stroke order for Chinese charactersChinese handwriting practice with real-time checkingOffline functionality
📚 Education
(14)
free
16
SuperChinese - Learn Chinese
SuperChinese - Learn Chinese
SuperChinese - Learn Chinese
#1 Chinese Self-Study App
Free

Master Mandarin Chinese with an AI-powered app designed for all levels. Learn to speak, read, write, and listen through engaging lessons, animated videos, and speech recognition. Track your progress with proficiency tests and enjoy bite-sized learning sessions.

AI-powered learningSpaced repetitionAnimated videos
📚 Education
(3.5K)
free with in-app purchases
17
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
(647)
free with in-app purchases
18
Learn Chinese Characters
Learn Chinese Characters
Learn Chinese Characters
by Guilin Ouyang
Free

This app offers an effective method for learning basic Chinese characters and words. It breaks down character composition using fundamental strokes and provides pronunciation, meaning, and writing practice. Interactive games help reinforce recognition and typing skills.

Animated character formationPronunciation and meaning lookupWriting practice on screen
📚 Education
(1)
free
19
Learning Chinese Words Writing
Learning Chinese Words Writing
Learning Chinese Words Writing
Read & Write Chinese Character
Free

Learn to write Chinese characters step-by-step with guided demonstrations and stroke-by-stroke practice. Reinforce memory with sentence examples and a card game. Develop language awareness, fine motor skills, and memory.

Step-by-step character writingStroke-by-stroke practiceSentence usage examples
📚 Education
(193)
free with in-app purchases
20
Chinese Hanzi Dictionary
Chinese Hanzi Dictionary
Chinese Hanzi Dictionary
Learn to write Chinese Hanzi
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
(338)
free with in-app purchases

FAQ about Chinese Characters Study

What are the best chinese characters study apps for iPhone?
iLearn Chinese Characters Lite tops our chinese characters study apps ranking as of May 2026, with a 4.4-star average from 38 App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 19 of the top chinese characters study apps we rank are free to download, including iLearn Chinese Characters Lite and Chineasy: Learn Chinese easily.
iLearn Chinese Characters Lite has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of May 2026.
We track 206+ chinese characters study apps on the iOS App Store as of May 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
This app helps non-native speakers and children learn Chinese characters by explaining their origins as pictures of the objects they represent. It also demonstrates the correct way to write characters and allows you to practice writing them on your device.
The Lite version explains the pictographic origins of characters, shows correct writing strokes, and provides on-screen writing practice. It aims to make learning intuitive and fun for beginners.