Choose an app by the job you need it to do. HelloChinese or Duolingo can provide structured lessons; Anki handles flashcard review; Pleco supports dictionary lookup; HSKStory, Du Chinese, and The Chairman's Bao offer different kinds of reading; italki provides private lessons; and HelloTalk supports language exchange. A useful setup may combine several of these rather than treating them as a single ranked list.
Chinese study involves several skills. A lesson sequence can introduce grammar and pronunciation, but reading practice asks you to follow connected text. Flashcards schedule recall, while speaking requires another person. Compare the apps below by whichever job is missing from your current routine.
How this comparison was checked
HSKStory publishes this guide and is one of the products compared. Facts checked: August 2026. Product features and access models were checked against official product pages and first-party app listings. Catalogs, allowances, subscriptions, and teacher rates can change, so this guide avoids exact prices and catalog counts.
The comparison uses fit and tradeoffs, not a universal score. Start with the job you need, sample the current product, and confirm its access terms before paying.
Job 1: Structured beginner lessons
HelloChinese: Mandarin-focused lessons
HelloChinese documents a game-based curriculum covering reading, writing, speaking, vocabulary, and grammar. Its current feature list includes speech recognition, handwriting practice, and spaced repetition. The app is available on iOS and Android.
This is a fit for a beginner who wants one Mandarin-specific lesson path with pronunciation and character practice together. The tradeoff is focus: structured lessons control the sequence, so add freer reading or conversation when you want to use language outside that path. The app is free to download and offers in-app purchases.
Duolingo: short, game-like practice
Duolingo offers a Simplified Mandarin course for English speakers. Its lessons cover reading, writing, listening, and speaking through short sessions, points, levels, challenges, and reminders.
This format fits learners who want a low-friction daily lesson habit. It does not replace a dictionary, longer reading, or live conversation, so treat it as one part of a broader routine. Duolingo offers free course access with optional paid plans.
Job 2: Vocabulary review and dictionary lookup
Anki: customizable flashcard review
Anki is a general flashcard program rather than a Chinese course. You choose or create the material, rate your recall, and Anki schedules later reviews. Cards can include text, audio, images, and video, and the free AnkiWeb service syncs cards across devices.
Anki fits learners who want control over what they review, including words collected from lessons or reading. That control also creates setup work: a shared deck may not match your syllabus, and cards you make yourself need useful prompts and accurate content. The computer version is free, AnkiMobile is the official iOS purchase, and the contributor-developed AnkiDroid app is free on Android.
Pleco: dictionary-centered study
Pleco combines Chinese dictionary search with handwriting lookup, audio, flashcards, and document-reading tools. The free basic version includes the search engine, included dictionaries, basic audio, and a light clipboard reader. Full file reading and other dictionaries or tools are available as add-ons.
Pleco fits when lookup is the central job. Its document reader can open supported Chinese text and show a dictionary entry when you tap a word. The tradeoff is that Pleco does not supply a sequenced course or one subscription catalog; the texts and add-ons you use determine the experience.
Job 3: Reading and listening in context
HSKStory: multi-chapter graded fiction
HSKStory focuses on multi-chapter fiction across its HSK 1 through HSK 9 editorial shelves. Editors develop, closely edit, and approve every story. Vocabulary checks flag words above the target level, and editors decide whether to revise or retain necessary terms.
The browser reader provides four pinyin modes, word-tap pinyin and definitions, HSK information, saved-word study, synchronized word highlighting, and chapter audio. Mandarin audio is reviewed for pronunciation, pacing, and synchronization.
HSKStory has a three-story free allowance. You can finish the first story without signing up, although continuing may require a free account. Any story you start remains readable. Full library access requires a membership.
This is a fit if you want to stay with one plot and its characters across chapters. The tradeoff is genre: learners looking for current news or live conversation need another product. For advanced reading, browse HSK 7 stories, HSK 8 stories, or HSK 9 stories as separate editorial shelves. For a reading-only comparison, see Chinese reading apps.
Du Chinese: mixed structured readings
Du Chinese offers reading and listening on iOS, Android, and the web. Its six documented levels run from Newbie through Master. The library mixes stories, articles, and courses, with word lookup, translations, grammar explanations, flashcards, and lesson audio.
Du Chinese fits learners who want several reading formats inside one structured library. Its levels use the product's own documented guide, so check that guide rather than assuming an exact match with the HSK syllabus for your exam. Free chapters are available, while wider access uses a subscription.
The Chairman's Bao: news-based lessons
The Chairman's Bao turns current news topics into graded reading and listening lessons across its Levels 1 through 6. Lessons include human-recorded audio, one-tap dictionary lookup, grammar explanations, and flashcard tools. It works across desktop and mobile devices.
This is a fit if news and topical vocabulary keep you reading. The tradeoff is format: lessons generally change subject rather than following one fictional plot across chapters. The site provides sample lessons, with a subscription for broader access.
Job 4: Lessons and language exchange with people
italki: private online lessons
italki connects learners with teachers for private online language lessons. Teachers can tailor classes to goals such as conversation, grammar, or exam preparation, and lessons can run through italki Classroom or another supported video platform.
italki fits when you want scheduled feedback and a teacher who can adapt a lesson to you. The tradeoff is that the experience depends on the teacher you choose and each lesson takes place at a booked time. Registration is free; teachers set their lessons and learners pay per class.
HelloTalk: reciprocal language exchange
HelloTalk connects language partners for text, voice, and video conversation. It also provides translation, pronunciation, transliteration, and correction tools inside the exchange.
HelloTalk fits informal practice with people who want to learn your language in return. The reciprocal format is different from hiring a teacher: both partners need time in the language they are learning. Core language-exchange access is free, with optional purchases available in the app.
Quick comparison
| App | Primary job | Learning scope | Access model | Audio or conversation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HelloChinese | Structured beginner lessons | Mandarin curriculum | Free download; in-app purchases | Lesson audio and speech recognition |
| Duolingo | Short daily lessons | Simplified Mandarin course | Free course; optional paid plans | Listening and speaking exercises |
| Anki | Flashcard review | User-created or shared decks | Free computer app and sync; platform-specific mobile apps | Cards can include audio |
| Pleco | Dictionary lookup and text support | Content varies by dictionary or text | Free basic version; paid add-ons | Basic audio; additional audio tools |
| HSKStory | Multi-chapter graded fiction | Editorial HSK 1-9 shelves | Three-story allowance; account may be requested; membership | Synchronized chapter audio |
| Du Chinese | Structured reading and listening | Newbie through Master | Free chapters; subscription | Lesson audio |
| The Chairman's Bao | News-based reading | Levels 1-6 | Sample lessons; subscription | Human-recorded article audio |
| italki | Private tutoring | Goals set with a teacher | Registration free; pay per lesson | Live online lessons |
| HelloTalk | Language exchange | Learner-set conversation | Free core access; optional purchases | Text, voice, and video |
Build a stack by job
A stack does not need one app from every row. Add a tool when it solves a real gap:
- For a structured path, sample HelloChinese and Duolingo and keep the format you will use.
- For recall, use Anki; for lookup and reading your own texts, use Pleco.
- For contextual reading, choose HSKStory for continuing fiction, Du Chinese for mixed structured readings, or The Chairman's Bao for news.
- For live practice, choose italki when you want a paid teacher or HelloTalk when you want reciprocal exchange.
Revisit the mix as your goal changes. A beginner lesson app can remain useful for structured review while reading, vocabulary, and conversation tools take on more of the work.