Tomyo and Pleco: what the difference is and whether you need both
Pleco and Tomyo solve different problems: Pleco answers "what does this word mean", Tomyo answers "what should I study today". There is an overlap all the same: Pleco has built-in flashcards with spaced repetition, sold as a paid module. Below is exactly where the line runs.
| Pleco | Tomyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | A dictionary and a way into unfamiliar text | A study programme organised by level |
| Dictionary | Licensed databases, OCR, handwriting input | Its own dictionary, no OCR or recognition |
| Dictionary languages | English and Chinese | Russian and English |
| Flashcards | Yes, a paid module, you build the set | Yes, the set comes from the HSK programme |
| What to study | You decide | Set by your level and progress |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Offline use | Yes | Needs a connection |
| Payment | One-off purchases, bundles at $29.99 and $59.99 | Free plan, Plus from 399 RUB/month |
What Pleco does
Pleco is a reference tool. Point the camera at a sign and it parses it; draw a character with your finger and it accepts it; it shows stroke order and pulls up entries from licensed dictionaries with native-speaker audio. Tomyo has none of that: its dictionary serves the study programme, it is not an instrument for taking apart arbitrary text.
If what you need is to understand an unfamiliar text, a restaurant menu or a WeChat message, you need Pleco, and no study programme replaces it.
Where the two do overlap
Pleco has a built-in flashcard system, and it does spaced repetition: there is a "Spaced Repetition" profile where the interval grows with every correct answer. It is a paid module — until it is bought the testing modes are off and saved words are called bookmarks.
So Pleco covers the same mechanic. The difference is where the material comes from. In Pleco you fill the set yourself: you meet a word, you add a card. That order suits someone already reading texts and consolidating what they meet, and does not suit the very start, when there is no set of words yet.
In Tomyo the material is set by the programme: words follow the HSK levels, with grammar and radicals attached to them. You do not have to decide what to study today — and equally you cannot replace that order with your own.
Language: a visible difference for non-English speakers
The dictionaries in the Pleco bundles are English-Chinese, Chinese-English and Chinese-Chinese: Oxford, ABC, New Century, Tuttle, Guifan. For a Russian speaker that means learning Chinese through English — useful for some, an extra layer for others. Tomyo’s material is in Russian and English.
What it costs
The Pleco app itself is free, and it can be used as a dictionary without buying anything. The paid bundles: Basic Bundle at $29.99 and Professional Bundle at $59.99 according to the website on 13 August 2026. These are one-off purchases rather than a subscription — over a long stretch cheaper than any recurring payment, Tomyo’s included.
Is it worth keeping both
Usually yes, and that is not a figure of speech. Pleco stays the reference tool: look up something unfamiliar, parse a sign, check a second meaning. Tomyo runs the programme: what to study today, when to review it, when to move up a level.
When Pleco is the better choice
- As a dictionary Pleco has what Tomyo does not: licensed databases, camera recognition, handwriting input, stroke order, native-speaker audio.
- Works offline — the dictionary lives on the device.
- One-off purchases instead of a subscription: pay once and keep using it.
- The basic app is free and fully usable as a dictionary without buying anything.
- Flashcards can be configured for any scenario — from your own lists to selection by frequency.
- A document reader: you can work through your own text, tapping the words you do not know.
When Tomyo is the better choice
- The programme is set in advance: HSK 1–6 word order, with grammar and radicals in the same sessions — no deciding what to study today.
- Material and interface in Russian and English, rather than through English.
- There is a web version — you can study from a computer, not only from a phone.
- Handwriting runs on a separate schedule, independent of recognising the word.
- Dialogues and texts are built from the words you have already covered.
- Payment by Russian card.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pleco replace Tomyo?
Partly. Pleco does have flashcards with spaced repetition, as a paid module, and they cover the mechanic. What Pleco does not give you is a pre-built programme: you fill the card set yourself and choose the study order yourself. If that suits you, a separate study programme is unnecessary.
Does Tomyo replace Pleco?
No. Tomyo has no camera recognition, no handwriting input, no licensed dictionary databases and no way to parse arbitrary text. For looking up an unfamiliar word, nothing in Tomyo substitutes for those Pleco features.
Does Pleco have a web version?
No, Pleco is released for iPhone, iPad and Android. Tomyo has a web version alongside its iOS and Android apps, so you can also study from a computer.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on the horizon. Pleco sells one-off purchases: the bundles cost $29.99 and $59.99 and there is nothing to pay afterwards. Tomyo is a subscription — a free plan with no time limit and Plus from 399 RUB a month. Over several years the one-off purchase works out cheaper.
Can words be moved from Pleco into Tomyo?
There is no automatic transfer. A word from Pleco can be added to the Tomyo dictionary by hand — your own words are supported on equal terms with programme words and then follow the same review schedule.
What can replace Pleco?
Among study apps there is no full replacement for a dictionary with camera recognition and handwriting input. The job of memorising words is covered by spaced-repetition services: Tomyo with its HSK-level programme, or Anki with cards you build yourself. Looking up an unknown word inside arbitrary text is not something they do.