Ranking updated
Learn Chinese apps: from first tones to reading real text
Mandarin asks for three skills at once: tones you have to hear, characters you have to recognise, and a grammar that is simpler than it looks. No single app does all three equally well, so most learners combine two. HelloChinese is the friendliest start, Du Chinese is where you go to read, and Pleco is the dictionary almost every serious learner keeps on their phone.
How we chose: established Chinese learning apps compared on the stage of learning they serve. Features from each App Store listing, read in October 2026.
A new way to learn Chinese from video
A younger app from an independent developer in the Censuus catalogue.
Dumpling: Learn Chinese4.9★ App Storedaily practice with real Chinese videos and synced transcripts, HSK 3.0 vocabulary, smart flashcards, graded reading and quizzes, with natural Mandarin audio.- Your app hereFree, foreverList my app
Starting from zero: HelloChinese
HelloChinese is built for beginners who want to reach real conversation. Lessons are game-based, there are graded stories at your level and videos with native speakers, and culture is woven in along the way. It is the gentlest route through tones and the first characters.
Learning to read: Du Chinese
Reading is where many learners stall. Du Chinese teaches through stories written, recorded and translated by its own team, at every level. Tap any word for its definition, pinyin and native audio, or a whole sentence for the translation, without leaving the text.
The tool you keep: Pleco
Pleco is a dictionary, a document reader and a flashcard system in one, with fullscreen handwriting input for characters you cannot type and live OCR to read signs and menus through the camera. Two dictionaries are built in for free; more, including well-known publishers, come as add-ons.
Which one to pick
Complete beginner: HelloChinese. Ready to read: Du Chinese. Every stage, as the reference: Pleco. A common setup is a course app plus Pleco from day one. For vocabulary drills, see flashcard apps.
| App | Best stage | How it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| HelloChineseApp Store | complete beginner to conversational | game-based lessons, graded stories, videos |
| Du ChineseApp Store | beginner to fluent reading | graded stories with tap-for-pinyin, audio and translation |
| PlecoApp Store | every stage | dictionary, document reader, flashcards, handwriting input, live OCR |
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to learn Chinese from zero?
HelloChinese is built for complete beginners, with game-based lessons that lead to practical conversation.
Which app helps you read Chinese?
Du Chinese teaches through graded stories where you can tap any word for pinyin, definition and audio; Pleco reads documents and, with live OCR, text through the camera.
Is there a Chinese app for HSK vocabulary?
Dumpling is built around HSK 3.0 vocabulary with flashcards and graded reading.