For HSK 3.0 preparation, start with HSKStory for reading and listening in context, Anki for vocabulary recall and Pleco for lookup. Add a beginner course if you still need a lesson sequence, and use exam-format practice separately. These tools do different jobs; you do not need all nine.
HSKStory is our Editor’s pick for sustained fiction from HSK 1 to HSK 9. Its synchronized chapter audio, word lookup and saved-word study let you work on comprehension without leaving the story. Start with the three-story free allowance.
First confirm which syllabus your exam session uses. Then separate vocabulary, connected reading, listening and speaking practice. A familiar HSK number on an app is not proof that it follows the final HSK 3.0 syllabus. This guide compares the tools by the gap they fill in an exam routine.
How this comparison was checked
Product facts were checked in October 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.
Start with the job you need, sample the product and confirm its access terms before paying. HSKStory uses the final HSK 3.0 vocabulary index for fiction; check other publishers’ level guides rather than treating all bands as equivalent.
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. 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. Pleco does not supply a sequenced course or one subscription catalog, so 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 runs in any browser, and the iOS and Android apps add offline story and audio downloads with background playback.
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 level guide maps Newbie through Master approximately to HSK 1–6 using character targets, but does not name a syllabus version. Free lessons are available; wider access uses a subscription. For HSK 3.0 fiction, including HSK 7–9, choose HSKStory.
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 experience depends on the teacher you choose, and each lesson takes place at a booked time. Teachers set their rates and learners pay per lesson.
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 | HSK study job | Access |
|---|---|---|
| HSKStory | HSK 1–9 fiction, synchronized listening and saved-word review | Three-story allowance; account may be requested; membership |
| HelloChinese | Structured Mandarin, speech recognition and handwriting | Free download; in-app purchases |
| Duolingo | Short Simplified Mandarin lessons and listening practice | Free course; optional paid plans |
| Anki | Vocabulary recall from your own or shared decks | Free desktop, Android and sync; paid official iOS app |
| Pleco | Dictionary lookup, word audio and your own texts | Free basic version; paid add-ons |
| Du Chinese | Mixed reading and listening; approximate HSK 1–6 mapping | Free lessons; subscription |
| The Chairman's Bao | News-based reading and listening; publisher Levels 1–6 on homepage | Sample lessons; subscription |
| italki | Teacher-led work on exam goals and speaking | Teacher-set rates; pay per lesson |
| HelloTalk | Conversation with language partners | Free core language exchange |
Build a stack by job
A stack does not need one app from every row. Add a tool when it solves a real gap:
- Start with HSKStory for HSK-level fiction and synchronized listening. Read at a comfortable level, replay a section, then save useful words.
- For a structured beginner 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.
Keep the routine small. Read a chapter in HSKStory, review the words you missed and practice the exam tasks that still slow you down. Add a course or teacher when you can name the gap. Buying another library does not replace working through suitable material.
Alternatives to HelloChinese for HSK preparation
If you want another structured beginner course, Duolingo offers free Simplified Mandarin lessons. Its format differs from HelloChinese’s Mandarin curriculum, speech recognition and handwriting tools. Check each course’s current syllabus mapping before relying on it for HSK 3.0 preparation.
If you already know basic sentence patterns and need connected reading, choose HSKStory. It is a reading companion to a course, with multi-chapter fiction and synchronized audio across HSK 1–9. For vocabulary recall use Anki; for specific pronunciation or grammar feedback, book a teacher on italki.
Apps and mock-test practice
HSKStory supplies reading and listening practice, while the apps above cover recall, courses, lookup or conversation. For timed practice, take HSKStory's free HSK mock tests (HSK 1–7, instant scoring, no signup); none of the other apps publishes a full HSK 3.0 mock-test bank. Use HSK exam preparation and HSK 3.0 study materials to choose exam-format practice alongside your reading routine.
Work through a timed paper or listening section separately, then return to HSKStory to practice following connected text. Check unfamiliar words in Pleco and review recurring vocabulary in Anki. Judge progress by the tasks you can finish, rather than the number of apps installed.
Read about HSKStory’s editorial approach.