What are the best apps to learn Chinese by yourself?
Published: April 29, 2026
Short Answer
The best Chinese learning app depends on your level and goals. HelloChinese is the top pick for beginners thanks to its structured curriculum and tone training. For vocabulary drilling, nothing beats Anki with community-shared decks. And if you want to practice speaking with real people, italki connects you with affordable tutors from China.
Person studying Chinese on their phone at a desk
Deep Dive
Best Apps by Learning Goal
| Use Case | App | Price | Why It Works |
|----|-----|----|-----|
| Absolute beginner | HelloChinese | Free / $8.99/mo premium | Game-like lessons, excellent tone drills, handwriting practice |
| Vocabulary building | Anki | Free (desktop), $25 (iOS) | Spaced repetition with customizable decks, huge community |
| All-round learning | Duolingo | Free / $7.99/mo Super | Gamified streaks keep you motivated, but shallow on tones |
| Reading practice | Du Chinese | Free / $11.99/mo | Graded readers with tap-to-translate, great for intermediate learners |
| Listening & conversation | ChinesePod | $14/mo | Thousands of podcast lessons at every level, natural dialogue |
| Character study | Hack Chinese | $9.99/mo | Built specifically for HSK vocabulary with mnemonics |
| Speaking practice | italki | $5-25/hour | 1-on-1 lessons with native speakers, flexible scheduling |
| Dictionary | Pleco | Free / $14.99 bundle | The gold standard Chinese dictionary with OCR and flashcards |
Our Honest Recommendations by Stage
Beginner (HSK 1-2): Start with HelloChinese for structure and Anki for daily vocab review. Add Pleco as your go-to dictionary. This trio covers all your bases for the first 3-6 months.
Intermediate (HSK 3-4): Switch to Du Chinese for reading and ChinesePod for listening. Book a weekly session on italki to practice conversation. Drop Duolingo -- it stops being useful around this level.
Advanced (HSK 5-6): Focus on native content. Use Anki to mine vocabulary from articles and shows. Keep your italki tutor for corrections on nuance and idiom usage.
Apps to Approach with Caution
- Duolingo -- Fun for building a habit, but the Chinese course has weak tone training and unnatural sentences. Use it as a supplement, not your main resource.
- Rosetta Stone -- Overpriced for what you get. The Chinese course is not well-adapted to the unique challenges of tonal language learning.
- Busuu -- Limited Chinese content compared to other languages on the platform.