Hanzi Writer vs Skritter

Hanzi Writer9.4Visit Skritter9.0Visit

Higher score Hanzi Writer #1 in Handwriting Practice Apps 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Hanzi Writer

vs

Skritter #3 in Handwriting Practice Apps 9.0/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Skritter

• Hanzi Writer fits best

  Chinese learners wanting an all-rounder

• Skritter fits best

  Serious Chinese and Japanese learners

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Side by side

Feature	Hanzi Writer 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Skritter 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Handwriting Practice Apps	#3 in Handwriting Practice Apps
Best for	Chinese learners wanting an all-rounder	Serious Chinese and Japanese learners
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$99.99/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	7 days
Deployment	Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	iOS, Android, macOS	Web, iOS, Android
Features Hanzi Writer 3/3 · Skritter 0/3
Pen-control exercises	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Custom word practice	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Progress tracking	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Writing modes	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Age levels	All_ages	Not checked yet
Supported platforms	ios, android, macos	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Real-time stroke-order validation and correction HSK 1–9 courses with spaced-repetition review Offline practice, OCR, worksheets, and Anki import	Real-time handwriting grading and stroke-order corrections Spaced-repetition reviews with custom vocabulary lists Offline mobile review across iOS and Android
Cons	Progress synchronization is available through Pro features The listed integration is limited to Anki Its focus is written Chinese rather than broader language study	No free plan is available Access requires a paid subscription after the 7-day trial Focuses on Chinese and Japanese rather than broader language study
Our verdict	Hanzi Writer is a handwriting-practice app for learners of written Chinese. It combines animated stroke-order guidance with real-time correction, HSK 1–9 courses, spaced-repetition review, on-device OCR, an offline dictionary, custom… Read the review →	Skritter focuses on writing and remembering Chinese and Japanese characters. It is designed for learners who want handwriting practice alongside reading, definitions, tones, audio, and structured vocabulary review. Study modes include… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Hanzi Writer — where it wins

  • Real-time stroke-order validation and correction
  • HSK 1–9 courses with spaced-repetition review
  • Offline practice, OCR, worksheets, and Anki import

  Where it doesn't

  • Progress synchronization is available through Pro features
  • The listed integration is limited to Anki
  • Its focus is written Chinese rather than broader language study

• Skritter — where it wins

  • Real-time handwriting grading and stroke-order corrections
  • Spaced-repetition reviews with custom vocabulary lists
  • Offline mobile review across iOS and Android

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Access requires a paid subscription after the 7-day trial
  • Focuses on Chinese and Japanese rather than broader language study

• Hanzi Writer9.4/10 · Free plan

  An all-round Chinese handwriting app with structured courses, review tools, and offline practice.

  Visit Hanzi WriterFull verdict →
• Skritter9.0/10 · 7-day trial

  A focused handwriting app for serious Chinese and Japanese learners.

  Visit SkritterFull verdict →