Tomyo or Skritter for writing characters

Skritter solves one problem and goes deeper into it: it drills character writing with feedback on every stroke. In Tomyo handwriting is one kind of practice inside a wider HSK programme. The question is not which is better but whether you need a separate tool for writing or whether writing as part of your sessions is enough.

What Skritter does better

Skritter breaks writing down to individual strokes and grades them as you write. That is more detailed than Tomyo, where writing practice checks the result rather than guiding each stroke. If your main goal is to learn to write by hand correctly and neatly, a dedicated tool gives you more.

Skritter also supports Japanese. If you are learning both languages, that is one tool instead of two.

How Tomyo’s approach differs

In Tomyo writing is not a separate discipline but one way of working with the same word. The same word comes back for recognition, for pinyin, for dictation, for sentence building and for writing — and writing has its own schedule, unconnected to the recognition one. The point is to fix the word in place from several sides, not to perfect your handwriting.

Around that sits the rest of the programme: vocabulary by HSK level, grammar, idioms, radicals, phrases by situation. Skritter neither solves nor claims that job.

The price difference is noticeable

Skritter has no free tier — only a trial week, then a subscription: $14.99 a month, $59.99 for six months, $99.99 a year according to their site. Tomyo’s free plan has no time limit, and Plus costs from 399 RUB a month, paid by Russian card.

That is not a reproach: a narrow tool that works one problem through in depth costs more for a reason. But if writing is not your main goal, there is no point paying that price for it.

Do you need both

If you are seriously into calligraphy or preparing to write by hand in an exam, it makes sense to keep Skritter separately and run vocabulary and grammar in Tomyo. For most learners a dedicated writing trainer is redundant: the writing inside the general programme is enough.

When Skritter is the better choice

• Writing is graded down to the level of individual strokes; writing practice in Tomyo offers no such detail.
• The whole product is built around writing rather than containing it as one section among many.
• Supports Japanese as well as Chinese — if you study both, that is a single tool.
• There is a web version and mobile apps that sync with each other.
• Custom sets: you can keep a character list matching your own textbook or course.

When Tomyo is the better choice

• There is a free plan with no time limit; Skritter has no free tier at all, only a trial week.
• Cheaper: Plus from 399 RUB a month against $14.99.
• Writing is part of the wider programme rather than a separate trainer: the same words also come back for recognition, pinyin, dictation and sentence building.
• Beyond characters there is HSK 1–6 vocabulary, grammar, idioms, radicals and phrases by situation.
• Material and interface in Russian and English.
• Payment by Russian card.

Frequently asked questions