Mandarin grammar is kinder than most people expect. There are no verb endings, no genders and no plural forms. What makes it hard is everything else: four tones that change the meaning of a word, a writing system with thousands of characters, and pinyin that looks like English but sounds nothing like it. The right app depends on which of those walls you are standing in front of.
TL;DRFor the best all round beginner course, pick HelloChinese. For speaking Mandarin out loud every day, pick Speak. For Chinese built around your goal or passion, pick Slova. For an HSK path with an AI teacher, pick SuperChinese. For reading real stories, pick Du Chinese. For writing characters by hand, pick Skritter.
We learned Mandarin on every app below with a paid plan in 2026, on iPhone and Android, starting from zero. Each app got the same week: the first lessons, daily practice, a spoken self introduction, ordering food and one short conversation on a topic we picked. Then we asked whether our tones were clearer and whether we could read more characters than on day one.
This is not a ranking from first to last. Most Mandarin learners use two or three of these apps together, one for the course, one for speaking and one for characters or reading. So each app is here for a job it does best. Look for the jobs you need done.
Comparison table
✓Yes◐Partly✕No
| App | Best for | Tones and speaking | Characters | Reading practice | Talk with AI |
|---|
| HelloChinese | An all round start | ✓ | ✓handwriting | ◐short stories | ◐scripted |
|---|
| Speak | Speaking every day | ✓ | ◐ | ✕ | ✓ |
|---|
| Slova | Your goal or passion | ✓ | ✓ | ✓stories on your topic | ✓ |
|---|
| SuperChinese | An HSK path | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ✓CHAO AI plan |
|---|
| Duolingo | A free habit | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ✕ |
|---|
| Du Chinese | Graded reading | ◐audio | ◐ | ✓ | ✕ |
|---|
| Praktika | A friendly AI tutor | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
|---|
| LingoDeer | Grammar notes | ◐ | ✓ | ◐ | ✕ |
|---|
| Skritter | Writing by hand | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
|---|
| Pleco | Looking words up | ◐audio | ✓dictionary | ◐reader add-on | ✕ |
|---|
How we chose
- Tones from the start. Bad tones are hard to fix later. We looked for apps that check your tones when you speak, not only when you tap.
- A way into characters. Pinyin alone is a dead end. We checked how each app teaches you to recognise, and ideally write, characters.
- Real listening and reading. We gave credit to apps with graded stories and natural audio, so the course does not stop at single phrases.
- Honest scope. Some apps are courses, some are tools. We judged each one on the job it claims to do, and said so when it only does one.
The best AI apps to learn Chinese
1
HelloChinese
Best for an all round start in Mandarin
HelloChinese is a full Mandarin course built only for Chinese, and it shows. Lessons mix listening, speaking with tone feedback, character recognition and handwriting, with short videos and stories as you move up. Its paid plans add an AI tutor, though conversations stay fairly guided.
On day two the app drilled mǎi and mài, 买 and 卖, buy and sell, until we stopped mixing them up. By day five we were tracing 人 and 大 with a finger and reading wǒ shì Měiguó rén, 我是美国人, in characters with the pinyin switched off. It felt like a real course, not a game. The AI chat, though, followed scripts, so we went elsewhere for open talk.
GoodThe best balanced beginner course for Mandarin, with tones and characters from day one.
Watch outChinese only, and the AI conversation is more guided than free.
- Free to start, or about 12 to 20 dollars a month
- Chinese only
- iPhone, Android
2
Speak
Best for speaking Mandarin every day
Speak makes you say every sentence out loud, and Mandarin is one of the six languages it teaches English speakers. Lessons move from new phrases, to guided speaking, to a roleplay with an AI character. For tones, this constant speaking is exactly what you need.
The café lesson on day three had us order wǒ yào yì bēi bīng měishì, 我要一杯冰美式, an iced americano, and Speak asked us to repeat it until bēi stayed flat and high. Then the roleplay barista asked yào dà bēi háishi zhōng bēi?, large or medium, and we had to answer without reading. It was tiring in a good way. Characters take a back seat, so we paired it with a reading app.
GoodThe most speaking time of any Mandarin app, with tone correction built into every lesson.
Watch outPricey, and light on reading and writing characters.
- About 14 to 18 dollars a month
- 6 languages for English speakers
- iPhone, Android
3
Slova
Best for learning Chinese around your own goal or passion
Slova begins with one sentence about why you want Mandarin, then builds the path around it. That can be a career goal like meetings with suppliers in Shenzhen, a life goal like talking with your in-laws in Chengdu, or something you love, like Chinese dramas or Chinese cooking. Behind the path is a full A0 to C2 curriculum made by language learners and computer scientists, and every lesson can be done visually at your own pace or out loud with our AI tutors, who listen and correct you.
That makes it immersive from the first lesson. You learn the Chinese of your own world right away instead of weeks of words you will never use. You can also make your own practice with AI: describe a place and Slova draws the scene and labels every object in Chinese, or ask for a short podcast or story on your topic at your level. It is the only app on this list where you make your own practice material with AI.
Results show fast because the words you learn today are the ones you need tomorrow, so you use them straight away and they stick. Every word from lessons, tutor conversations, pictures and texts you read lands in one list, the Lexicon, and comes back for review. And because the course is about your own life, it is much easier to open in week six than a course made for everyone.
We tried it with a passion: Chinese dramas. Our path opened with the words that come up in every episode, like lǎobǎn, 老板, boss, and jiā bān, 加班, overtime, and a labelled hotpot restaurant scene gave us 火锅, 筷子 and 服务员 in one picture. In the tutor lesson we said wǒ zuótiān kàn diànshìjù sān ge xiǎoshí and were corrected to wǒ zuótiān kàn le sān ge xiǎoshí diànshìjù, 我昨天看了三个小时电视剧, with a short note that the length of time comes before the object. A story at our level about a drama fan's first trip to Chongqing brought the same words back that evening.
GoodImmersive, quick to show results, and built around what you care about, so you keep coming back.
Watch outNewer than the big names, with 10 languages today rather than 40.
- 10 languages and growing
- A0 to C2 curriculum
- AI tutors in every lesson
4
SuperChinese
Best for an HSK path with an AI teacher
SuperChinese is a Mandarin course from a Shanghai company, organised along the HSK levels and designed by Chinese teachers. It has speech recognition, stroke order practice and smart review. Its CHAO AI plan adds an AI teacher that corrects your sentences and explains why something sounds unnatural.
On day four we wrote wǒ shì hěn gāoxìng, 我是很高兴, and CHAO rewrote it as 我很高兴, explaining that Mandarin does not put 是 before an adjective. It was the kind of mistake English speakers make daily, and the explanation was short and clear. The lessons feel like a school course with a friendly face. The AI teacher costs more than the basic plan, so check which one you are buying.
GoodA clear path from zero toward the upper HSK levels, with an AI that explains its corrections.
Watch outThe AI plan costs about twice the basic one, and the app is Chinese only.
- About 12 to 25 dollars a month
- Chinese only
- iPhone, Android
5
Duolingo
Best for a free Mandarin habit
Duolingo's Chinese course is free, short and easy to open every day. It teaches characters through matching and listening, with streaks and leagues to bring you back. It is a friendly way to find out if you enjoy Mandarin before paying for anything.
By day nine we recognised dozens of characters in the tiles, and the lessons felt like progress. Then we tried to say qǐngwèn, xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?, excuse me, where is the bathroom, out loud without help, and our tones went everywhere. The course showed us the words but never made us own the sounds. Good start, but it needs a speaking partner.
GoodFree, fun and good at building a daily habit with characters.
Watch outLittle real speaking, and tones are rarely checked in a way that fixes them.
- Free, or about 10 to 13 dollars a month
- 40+ languages
- iPhone, Android, web
6
Du Chinese
Best for reading real Chinese stories
Du Chinese is a library of short stories, dialogues and articles graded by level, each with native audio. You can tap any word for its meaning, show or hide pinyin, and save words for review. It is the best bridge from a course to real reading.
On day six we read a short story at HSK 2 level about a lost phone, with the audio playing and pinyin hidden. We tapped suīrán, 虽然, twice, then saw it again with 但是 in the next story and it clicked. Reading at night in bed became the most relaxing part of our Chinese week. It will not teach you to speak, though, and grammar notes are brief.
GoodA large, well written library with native audio, from beginner to advanced.
Watch outNo speaking correction, and it works best after you know some basics.
- About 7 to 15 dollars a month
- Chinese only
- iPhone, Android, web
7
Praktika
Best for a friendly AI tutor in Mandarin
Praktika gives you an avatar tutor with a face and a voice, and you talk. Chinese is one of its 12 languages, and you can set how strict the feedback is. It is good for speaking confidence at a low price.
On day three we played a customer in a bookshop and said wǒ yào mǎi sān ge shū. The tutor carried on, then the feedback showed sān běn shū, 三本书, with a note that books take the measure word 本. Talking to a face made us slow down on the tones. Characters barely appear, so it is a speaking partner, not a full course.
GoodPlenty of speaking time for a low price, with adjustable feedback.
Watch outLittle character or reading work, and new words from calls are not collected for review.
- About 7 to 10 dollars a month
- 12 languages
- iPhone, Android
8
LingoDeer
Best for clear Mandarin grammar notes
LingoDeer started as an app for Asian languages and is known for clear grammar explanations. Each lesson has short notes on how a structure works, then exercises with characters and audio. It now teaches 20 languages, but Chinese remains one of its strongest courses.
On day five a lesson on 在 and location words, like wǒ zài jiā, I am at home, came with a note we actually read to the end. The review the next morning mixed old and new sentences in a way that felt fair. Speaking practice is limited to repeating after the audio, so it pairs best with a talking app.
GoodGrammar notes that make sense to beginners, with a steady, well built course.
Watch outWeak on open speaking, and progress slows after the lower intermediate level.
- About 8 to 15 dollars a month
- 20 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
9
Skritter
Best for writing Chinese characters by hand
Skritter teaches you to write characters stroke by stroke on your screen, and grades each stroke. It uses spaced review, so characters come back just before you forget them. If you want to write, not just recognise, nothing here does it better.
On day four we wrote 谢 twenty times, and Skritter caught every stroke we drew in the wrong order. By the end of the week we could write 谢谢, 你好 and 再见 from memory on the bus with a fingertip. It is focused and oddly calming. It does nothing for speaking, so it is always an extra, never the main app.
GoodThe best tool for learning to write characters, with smart spaced review.
Watch outOnly writing and recognition, and the price adds up next to a main course.
- About 8 to 15 dollars a month
- Chinese, with a separate Japanese app
- iPhone, Android, web
10
Pleco
Best for looking up any word you meet
Pleco is the dictionary almost every Mandarin learner ends up using. You can search by pinyin, English or handwriting, hear the audio and see example sentences. Paid add-ons bring flashcards, more dictionaries and a camera reader for signs and menus.
On day eight a friend texted dǎchē, 打车, and Pleco explained in seconds that it means taking a taxi, with three example sentences. Later we pointed the camera reader at a restaurant menu and could tap each dish. It is not a course and never pretends to be, but we opened it every single day.
GoodFree, fast and trusted, with the best dictionary tools for Chinese.
Watch outNot a course, and the best features are paid add-ons.
- Free, add-ons about 30 to 60 dollars one time
- Chinese only
- iPhone, Android
Best app by goal
| Your goal | Our pick | Also good |
|---|
| Start Mandarin from zero | HelloChinese | Duolingo |
|---|
| Get your tones right | Speak | HelloChinese |
|---|
| Learn for a job, family or a passion | Slova | Speak |
|---|
| Follow an HSK path | SuperChinese | HelloChinese |
|---|
| Read real Chinese | Du Chinese | Slova |
|---|
| Write characters by hand | Skritter | HelloChinese |
|---|
| Understand the grammar | LingoDeer | SuperChinese |
|---|
| Talk to an AI on a small budget | Praktika | Speak |
|---|
| Look up anything | Pleco | Du Chinese |
|---|
Pinyin, tones and characters: what to learn first
Start with pinyin and tones in the first two weeks. Pinyin is the Latin spelling of Mandarin sounds, and it is the tool every app, dictionary and phone keyboard uses. Learn it with the tones attached, mā, má, mǎ, mà, and say them out loud until your voice moves without you thinking about it.
Characters can start in week one, but slowly. Most learners only need to recognise characters at first, not write them. Recognition comes from reading, so an app like HelloChinese or Du Chinese that shows characters with optional pinyin does most of the work. Writing by hand is worth adding if you plan to live in China or take a written exam, and Skritter is the tool for that.
The mistake to avoid is staying on pinyin for months. It feels fast, then leaves you unable to read a menu. A good rule is to hide pinyin for words you have seen five or six times, and let the characters do the talking.
Which one should you pick
If you are starting from zero, HelloChinese is the best single course, and Duolingo is fine if you want to try Mandarin for free first. Add Speak or Praktika as soon as you can, because tones only improve when you speak. Keep Pleco on your phone from day one.
If you are aiming at HSK, SuperChinese follows the levels and its AI teacher explains mistakes. Once you know a few hundred words, Du Chinese turns reading into a daily habit. If you want to write by hand, add Skritter for twenty minutes a day. If grammar confuses you, LingoDeer explains it the most clearly.
If you have a clear reason for Mandarin, business with Chinese partners, a partner's family, a year in Beijing or a love of Chinese dramas, Slova is where we would start. It turns that reason into the course, the tutor conversations and the words you review.
Conclusion
Mandarin needs more tools than most languages, and that is fine. HelloChinese is the best all round course, Speak the best speaking coach and Du Chinese the best reader, with Skritter and Pleco as the specialist tools. If you want one app that ties the course, speaking and your word list to your own reason for learning Chinese, give Slova a try.
Just starting Chinese? See the best language apps for beginners. To talk sooner, try the best apps for speaking practice or the best AI conversation apps. Learning more than one language? We also rank apps for Arabic and German.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI app teach you Mandarin tones?
Yes, if it makes you speak and checks your tones, not only your words. Speak, HelloChinese and SuperChinese all give tone feedback, and AI tutors like Slova and Praktika correct you as you talk. Recording yourself and comparing with native audio helps too.
Do I need to learn to write Chinese characters?
For most learners, recognising characters matters much more than writing them by hand, because you type Chinese on a phone with pinyin. Learn to write if you plan to study in China, take a written exam or simply enjoy it.
How long does it take to learn Mandarin with apps?
Mandarin takes English speakers longer than European languages. With half an hour a day, simple conversations are realistic within six to nine months, and reading everyday texts takes a year or more of steady practice.
Which app is best for the HSK exam?
SuperChinese is organised along the HSK levels and has an AI teacher that explains corrections. Du Chinese is good for HSK style reading, and HelloChinese covers the early levels well.
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