Tomyo or HelloChinese: a comparison
HelloChinese covers more ground: it has a Russian interface, spaced repetition, handwriting and HSK-based courses, and on top of that speech recognition and native-speaker video, which Tomyo does not have. The difference is not the number of features but the design: HelloChinese leads you through its own course, Tomyo works from a personal vocabulary.
| HelloChinese | Tomyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | A course of lessons, step by step | Sessions built on a personal vocabulary |
| Speech recognition | Yes | No |
| Native-speaker video | More than 2,000 | None |
| Spaced repetition | Yes | Yes |
| Handwriting | Yes | Yes, on a separate schedule |
| Interface language | Russian and eleven others | Russian and English |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Reference sections | Inside the course | Open without an account |
| Price | Free, Premium from $11.99/month | Free plan, Plus from 399 RUB/month |
Where HelloChinese is stronger
HelloChinese checks pronunciation by ear: you speak, the app scores you. Tomyo has no speech recognition. HelloChinese has more than two thousand videos with native speakers — Tomyo produces no such material. Its claimed audience is over 20 million users and more than 500 thousand reviews.
For a ready course with sequential lessons and pronunciation coaching, HelloChinese is the fit.
How the approaches differ
HelloChinese is a course: a sequence of lessons, each introducing something new and drilling it straight away. You move along a programme somebody else compiled, which is convenient exactly as long as your goals match that programme.
Tomyo is built from the vocabulary outwards. The base is a growing set of words: programme words by HSK level plus the ones you added yourself, all running on a shared review schedule. Dialogues and texts are assembled from what you already know. That approach gives you fewer explanations and more repetition.
The web version
A technical difference: HelloChinese exists only as a mobile app — its site states plainly that it is available on Google Play and the App Store. Tomyo has a full web version alongside its apps, so you can study at a computer.
Reference sections
In Tomyo part of the material sits outside the study flow: full HSK 1–6 word lists, grammar rules, idioms, radicals, phrases by situation. They open from a link and can simply be read without creating an account. It is closer to a reference work next to the service than to a part of the course.
On the HSK edition
One detail worth knowing when choosing: in the HelloChinese App Store description the developers note that the syllabus still rests on the older edition of the HSK standard and that a course for the new one is in preparation. If you are preparing for the exam, it is worth checking the edition with both services.
What it costs
HelloChinese is free to download; the Premium subscription costs $11.99 a month, $25.99 for three months and $69.99 a year according to the App Store, and there are more expensive Premium+ tiers. Tomyo’s free plan has no time limit, and Plus costs from 399 RUB a month, paid by Russian card.
When HelloChinese is the better choice
- Speech recognition: pronunciation can be practised out loud and checked. Tomyo has nothing of the kind.
- More than 2,000 videos with native speakers; Tomyo has no video material.
- A mature product with a huge audience: over 20 million users and more than 500 thousand reviews.
- The course is built as lessons: every step explains something new and drills it immediately.
- The retention mechanics are worked out in noticeably more detail than in Tomyo.
- All of the above is available in Russian.
When Tomyo is the better choice
- There is a web version: you can study from a computer, not only from a phone.
- Work with a personal vocabulary: your own words live on equal terms with programme words and follow the same review schedule.
- Reference sections alongside the course: full HSK 1–6 word lists, grammar, idioms, radicals, phrases by situation — all openable without registering.
- Dialogues and texts are assembled from the words you have already covered.
- Character handwriting runs on a separate schedule, independent of recognising the word.
- Payment by Russian card.
Frequently asked questions
Which to choose if only one app is possible?
For starting from zero with a ready course, explanations and pronunciation coaching, HelloChinese covers more: it has speech recognition and native-speaker video, which Tomyo does not. Tomyo fits when what matters is work with a personal vocabulary, studying from a computer, and open HSK reference sections.
Does HelloChinese have a web version?
No. The official site states that the app is available on Google Play and the App Store. Tomyo has a web version alongside its iOS and Android apps.
Whose spaced repetition is better?
Both have it. The workings of somebody else’s algorithm are not visible from outside, so the quality cannot be compared. There is one verifiable difference: in Tomyo, words added by hand enter the review schedule on equal terms with programme words.
Does HelloChinese have Russian?
Yes, Russian is in the list of interface languages on their official site. In that respect there is no difference between the services.
Does Tomyo check pronunciation?
No. Tomyo has no speech recognition: you can listen to the audio, but the app gives no assessment of your own speech. For practising pronunciation, HelloChinese is the fit.
What are the alternatives to HelloChinese?
Close in purpose: Duolingo, a course with game mechanics covering several languages at once; Tomyo, an HSK-level programme built around a personal vocabulary; Anki, flashcards you assemble yourself. Character-writing practice on its own is covered by Skritter, and looking up unfamiliar words by the Pleco dictionary.