Apps for learning Chinese: what to choose for which job
There is no single right app: these tools solve different problems. Pronunciation is set by a live teacher, vocabulary is held in place by spaced repetition, unfamiliar text is parsed by a dictionary with recognition, and exam format comes from the official textbook. Below is which job is covered by what, and where the boundaries run.
The job and what solves it
| # | What you need | What solves it |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Study Chinese systematically along a ready-made programme | Tomyo: HSK-ordered vocabulary, spaced repetition, grammar, handwriting and reading in a single daily plan. Neither the material nor the schedule has to be assembled by hand.How Tomyo works |
| 02 | Speak and get your pronunciation right | A live teacher. You cannot hear your own mistake in a tone, and speech recognition is far from universal among apps — Tomyo has none.A tutor |
| 03 | Build a vocabulary and keep it | Spaced repetition: Tomyo with a ready HSK programme, or Anki if you are willing to assemble the material yourself.Anki |
| 04 | Read a sign, a menu or an unfamiliar text | Pleco. For camera recognition and handwriting input it has no substitute.Pleco |
| 05 | Understand why a sentence works the way it does | ChatGPT answers a specific question on the spot, a textbook explains the system behind it. Repetition apps explain little.ChatGPTHSK Standard Course |
| 06 | Prepare for the HSK exam by task format | The official HSK Standard Course textbook: it was compiled together with the body that runs the exam.HSK Standard Course |
| 07 | Learn to write characters by hand | Skritter, if that is the main goal: it goes down to individual strokes. If handwriting is one part of a wider programme, a separate trainer is redundant.Skritter |
| 08 | Just start, and not quit in the first week | Duolingo or HelloChinese: mature game-like retention mechanics and a low barrier to entry.DuolingoHelloChinese |
The tools one by one
Tomyo
For studying Chinese systematically by HSK with a ready daily plan: words, reviews, grammar, handwriting and texts.
Made by the team that prepared this comparison
See how Tomyo worksAnki
People ready to assemble the material themselves who want full control over their cards — including outside Chinese.
Comparison with TomyoChatGPT
People who need an explanation here and now: to break down a sentence, ask "why is it like that", and practise writing on any topic.
Comparison with TomyoDuolingo
People trying out a language who want to stick with it: free, minimal barrier to entry, mature game mechanics.
Comparison with TomyoHelloChinese
People who want a ready course with explanations and pronunciation coached by ear.
Comparison with TomyoHSK Standard Course
People who need explanations and material aligned with the exam: the official textbook used in courses and at Confucius Institutes.
Comparison with TomyoPleco
Anyone who reads Chinese: a dictionary with camera recognition and handwriting input.
Comparison with TomyoSkritter
People whose main goal is to learn to write characters by hand, with feedback down to individual strokes.
Comparison with TomyoA tutor
People who need to speak and be heard: a live teacher sets your pronunciation and corrects the mistakes you do not notice yourself.
Comparison with Tomyo
Frequently asked questions
Which app for learning Chinese is best?
There is no such app — they solve different problems. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition, unfamiliar text needs a dictionary with recognition, pronunciation needs a live teacher, exam format needs the official textbook. Choose from your own goal rather than from a general ranking.
Can you learn Chinese with a single app?
Reading, building a vocabulary and working out the grammar — quite possibly. Pronunciation is harder: a tone changes the meaning of a word, and your own mistake in a tone is inaudible to you. Without someone to correct you, the speaking side will almost certainly stay weak.
What should a complete beginner choose?
If the goal is to speak, starting with a teacher makes more sense: relearning pronunciation later is hard. If the goal is to read and build a vocabulary, an app with a ready HSK programme is enough, so you do not have to decide which words to take first.
Do you have to pay to learn Chinese?
No. Anki is free on the desktop and on Android, Pleco is free as a dictionary, Duolingo and HelloChinese have free tiers, and Tomyo has a free plan with no time limit. Paid subscriptions lift the limits, but you can start without them.
How many tools should you keep at once?
Two are usually enough: one runs the vocabulary and the regularity, the other covers what the first cannot — conversation, parsing text, or explanations. Three or more review schedules start getting in each other’s way.
How this breakdown was put together
This breakdown was prepared by the Tomyo team — one of the tools listed here. Claims about third-party products come from official documentation, vendor websites and app stores; each one carries a link and the date it was verified. Third-party reviews are not used as sources. On the pages of this section, the strengths of the other tool are listed before Tomyo’s own.