The 12 Best Mandarin Learning App Choices for 2026

The search for the best Mandarin learning app can feel overwhelming. With dozens of options available, each promising fluency, it's difficult to know which one truly aligns with your specific goals, learning style, and budget. This guide is designed to cut through that noise, offering a clear and practical path to selecting the right digital tool for your Mandarin studies. We've moved beyond surface-level marketing claims to provide a detailed, comparative analysis of the top applications on the market.

This article offers a practical breakdown of 12 leading platforms. We will delve into their real-world strengths, weaknesses, and unique features. Whether you're a complete beginner building your foundation, an intermediate learner stuck on the infamous plateau, or an advanced student refining your skills, our 'best for' recommendations will help you make an informed decision. We analyse core learning mechanics like spaced repetition systems (SRS), character writing practice, and sentence mining to match you with the perfect companion for your Mandarin journey. Each entry includes screenshots and direct links to help you explore further. Let's find the app that will genuinely accelerate your progress.

1. Mandarin Mosaic

Mandarin Mosaic earns its top spot as a featured choice by offering a powerful and uniquely focused approach to vocabulary acquisition. It centres its entire methodology on "sentence mining," presenting new words within complete, natural sentences. This technique moves learners beyond rote memorisation of isolated words, fostering a deeper understanding of grammar and context from day one.

Its standout feature is the "i+1" sentence calibration: each new sentence you encounter contains only one word you haven't learned yet. This design brilliantly reduces cognitive load, allowing you to deduce meaning and internalise grammatical patterns without feeling overwhelmed. It's a key reason why many consider this one of the best Mandarin learning app options for achieving steady, measurable progress.

Key Features & User Experience

The user experience is clean, fast, and distraction-free, focusing entirely on the learning process. Unknown words are highlighted, and a single tap reveals a built-in dictionary and lifelike audio, ensuring your study flow remains uninterrupted. Progress is managed by a robust Spaced Repetition System (SRS) that automatically schedules reviews to maximise long-term retention.

• Best for: Learners stuck at the intermediate plateau, Anki users wanting a simpler SRS setup, and anyone who prefers contextual learning over flashcards.
• Availability: New users receive a one-month free trial. Available on Google Play and the App Store.
• Pros: The "one new word" per sentence method is highly efficient for retention. The built-in dictionary, audio, and SRS create a seamless, all-in-one study tool.
• Cons: The app's primary focus is vocabulary and sentence structure. Learners needing extensive character writing drills or explicit, long-form grammar lessons will need to supplement their studies.

You can learn more and find download links on their official site: https://mandarinmosaic.com

2. Duolingo (Mandarin Chinese)

Duolingo is often the first stop for language learners, and its Mandarin Chinese course is no exception. It excels at building a consistent daily study habit through its famous gamified interface, featuring streaks, leaderboards, and experience points (XP). The platform's strength lies in its low barrier to entry; you can start learning basic vocabulary and sentence structures within minutes, making it an excellent choice for absolute beginners testing the waters of Mandarin.

The course guides users through a structured learning path, introducing characters, pinyin, and tones in bite-sized lessons. While it doesn't offer the grammatical depth of more specialised apps, it provides a solid foundation. The free version is perfectly functional, though the "hearts" system can limit practice sessions, and ads are present. Upgrading to Super Duolingo removes these limitations.

Duolingo is best used as a motivational tool and a fun introduction rather than a comprehensive curriculum. For a deeper analysis of its effectiveness for learning Chinese, you can read our full Duolingo Chinese review.

Best for: Absolute beginners who want a free, fun, and gamified way to start learning Mandarin.

• Key Features: Gamified lessons, progress tracking, community forums.
• Pros: Very easy to start and stay motivated, completely free core course.
• Cons: Limited grammar explanations, can feel repetitive for intermediate learners.
• Pricing: Free with ads and limitations; Super Duolingo subscription from £6.99/month.
• Website: https://www.duolingo.com

3. HelloChinese

HelloChinese is a powerful app designed exclusively for learning Mandarin, offering a structured and comprehensive curriculum that feels like a private tutor in your pocket. It distinguishes itself from broader language apps by focusing deeply on the unique challenges of Chinese, integrating core skills like pinyin, characters, listening, and speaking from the very first lesson. Its game-like approach keeps learners engaged while covering a curriculum aligned with HSK levels.

The platform’s real strength lies in its interactive exercises, particularly its speech recognition technology that provides instant feedback on your pronunciation and tones. You can also practise writing characters directly on your screen, receiving guidance on correct stroke order. These features make it an excellent choice for building a well-rounded foundation in the language, far beyond simple vocabulary memorisation. While the core content is accessible for free, a premium subscription unlocks all courses and advanced features.

Best for: Beginners and intermediate learners seeking a dedicated, all-in-one app for building fundamental Mandarin skills.

• Key Features: Integrated voice recognition, character handwriting practice, HSK-aligned lessons, offline mode.
• Pros: Purpose-built for Mandarin, excellent for pronunciation and writing practice, clear grammar explanations.
• Cons: Most useful features require a premium subscription, progress can feel slow for those wanting to advance quickly.
• Pricing: Free core content; Premium subscription from £8.99/month.
• Website: https://www.hellochinese.cc

4. Pleco (Dictionary + Toolkit)

No serious Mandarin learner's phone is complete without Pleco. It is the undisputed gold-standard Chinese dictionary app, but calling it just a dictionary is an understatement. It serves as an essential companion toolkit, integrating powerful features that support your learning, regardless of which primary course or app you use. Its core function provides lightning-fast, comprehensive definitions, character stroke order, and example sentences, all available offline.

The app's true power is unlocked through its modular, one-time purchase add-ons. These include an exceptional optical character recognition (OCR) tool that lets you look up characters with your phone's camera, a powerful handwriting input system, and an integrated flashcard system with SRS. While the sheer depth can feel advanced for absolute beginners, it quickly becomes an indispensable resource for looking up unknown words encountered in daily life or other study materials, making it one of the best Mandarin learning app companions available.

Best for: Serious learners at any level who need a powerful, offline reference tool and study companion.

• Key Features: High-quality dictionaries, OCR and handwriting recognition, powerful SRS flashcards.
• Pros: Exceptional reference depth and works offline, modular design means you only buy what you need.
• Cons: Feature depth can be intimidating for new learners, add-ons are separate purchases.
• Pricing: Free basic dictionary; Add-on bundles range from £23.99 to £79.99 (one-time purchases).
• Website: https://www.pleco.com

5. Skritter (Chinese writing)

Skritter is a specialised tool with one primary goal: to teach you how to write Chinese characters correctly. It moves beyond simple flashcards by providing an interactive canvas where you actively practise the stroke order for each Hanzi. The app uses a sophisticated spaced repetition system (SRS) to schedule reviews, ensuring that characters you find difficult appear more frequently, which is a highly effective method for long-term retention.

Its strength lies in its focused approach. While it doesn't teach grammar or conversation, its mastery of character writing is unparalleled, making it one of the best mandarin learning app components for a well-rounded study plan. The platform offers curated vocabulary lists that align with HSK levels and popular textbooks, but also allows you to create your own custom decks. For guidance on how to structure your learning, you can explore our advice on how many Chinese characters to learn per day.

Skritter is best used as a powerful supplement to a core curriculum. It solidifies your understanding of character construction, which dramatically improves reading ability and recall.

Best for: Learners who want to master writing Chinese characters with correct stroke order and build long-term retention.

• Key Features: Interactive stroke-order animations, SRS-based reviews, large curated vocabulary lists, iOS/Android and web versions.
• Pros: Best-in-class for handwriting practice and retention, integrates well with HSK progression and custom decks.
• Cons: Subscription cost can add up, focuses solely on writing/retention and doesn't replace a full course.
• Pricing: Free trial available; Subscription from £12.99/month.
• Website: https://skritter.com

6. Busuu (Chinese)

Busuu brings a structured, community-powered approach to its Mandarin Chinese course, framing its lessons around the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) levels. This makes it a great choice for learners who appreciate a clear, steady progression from A1 to B2. The platform organises its content into logical, bite-sized lessons covering vocabulary, dialogues, and grammar, all presented in a clean, modern interface.

What sets Busuu apart is its integrated social feature. Learners can submit writing or speaking exercises and receive feedback and corrections from native Mandarin speakers within the community. This human interaction provides valuable, real-world context that automated systems often miss, making it one of the best Mandarin learning app options for practical application. While the core lessons are available for free, this powerful feedback feature is part of the Premium subscription.

Busuu offers a well-rounded curriculum that feels more like a traditional course than a simple game, making it a solid next step for those who have outgrown introductory apps.

Best for: Beginners and intermediate learners who want a structured, CEFR-aligned course with human feedback.

• Key Features: CEFR-level courses, community feedback on exercises, expert-designed lessons.
• Pros: Strong community correction system, balanced and well-structured curriculum.
• Cons: Less China-specific cultural depth than specialised apps, key features require a premium subscription.
• Pricing: Free basic access; Premium subscriptions start from around £6.66/month.
• Website: https://www.busuu.com

7. Memrise (Chinese)

Memrise is a flashcard-based platform that excels at teaching vocabulary and phrases through spaced repetition and mnemonics. Its official Chinese courses stand out by using thousands of short video clips featuring native speakers, which helps you connect characters and pinyin to real-world pronunciation and intonation. This approach makes learning new words feel more dynamic and contextual compared to static audio clips.

The platform offers a wealth of user-generated content, allowing learners to find specific vocabulary sets for textbooks like HSK or other niche topics. While its core strength is vocabulary acquisition, its official courses guide you through phrases in a structured manner. Memrise is a powerful tool for building your word bank, but it's not a standalone curriculum for grammar. For learners considering different flashcard systems, understanding the nuances between platforms is key, as we explore in our comparison of Quizlet vs Anki.

Best for: Beginners who want to rapidly build vocabulary with real-world video and audio context.

• Key Features: Video clips of native speakers, spaced repetition system (SRS), user-generated courses, AI practice partner.
• Pros: Engaging video-based learning, excellent for memorising vocabulary and phrases quickly, large library of courses.
• Cons: Limited grammar explanations, less effective for developing advanced conversational skills without other resources.
• Pricing: Free basic access; Premium subscription from £11.99/month or £59.99/year.
• Website: https://www.memrise.com

8. LingoDeer (Chinese)

LingoDeer is often praised as the app many wish Duolingo was, especially for Mandarin Chinese. It provides a highly structured, curriculum-based approach that excels in teaching grammar explicitly. From the very beginning, LingoDeer integrates clear, concise grammar notes and examples into its lessons, ensuring you understand the why behind sentence construction, not just the what. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners who prefer a more academic, classroom-style learning path.

The platform organises its content into logical units that build upon each other, covering topics from basic greetings to more complex grammatical concepts. Unlike some competitors, it uses high-quality audio recordings from native speakers for all its vocabulary and sentences. While a portion of the initial content is free, most of its features, including offline learning and advanced review modes, require a premium subscription. LingoDeer stands out as one of the best Mandarin learning app choices for learners who need a solid grammatical foundation.

Best for: Beginners and intermediate learners who want a structured curriculum with clear grammar explanations.

• Key Features: Structured lessons with clear grammar explanations, Offline learning for premium users, High-quality native speaker audio.
• Pros: Strong foundation for grammar and structured practice, Useful travel phrasebook and test-out options.
• Cons: Much content sits behind the premium paywall, Lifetime deals and promotions have been inconsistent over time.
• Pricing: Limited free content; Premium subscription from £11.99/month.
• Website: https://www.lingodeer.com

9. Mondly by Pearson (Chinese)

Mondly, now part of Pearson, offers a visually engaging and accessible approach to learning Mandarin Chinese. It focuses on practical, real-world conversations from the very beginning, using a combination of themed modules and short daily lessons. This structure is designed to fit easily into a busy schedule, encouraging consistent, low-pressure practice. The platform's interface is colourful and user-friendly, centred around interactive dialogues and vocabulary builders that help you grasp core phrases quickly.

The Chinese course introduces new words and sentences through glossed conversations, which you can listen to and repeat. Its speech recognition feature provides instant feedback on your pronunciation, a crucial element for a tonal language like Mandarin. While Mondly doesn't delve deeply into character writing or complex grammar, its strength lies in building conversational confidence and foundational vocabulary. This makes it a solid contender for anyone looking for a less intimidating, app-based entry point into the language.

Best for: Casual learners and beginners who want to learn conversational phrases through short, daily sessions.

• Key Features: Daily lessons and themed learning modules, Speech recognition and glossed dialogues, Multi-platform access (web, iOS, Android).
• Pros: Easy to sample and gentle on-ramp for beginners, Frequent promotions and bundle options.
• Cons: Less depth for advanced grammar and character literacy, Some visuals and labels can feel generic.
• Pricing: Limited free daily lesson; Premium subscription from £8.99/month, with frequent lifetime deals available.
• Website: https://www.mondly.com/learn-chinese-online

10. FluentU (Chinese)

FluentU moves away from structured lessons and immerses you in authentic Mandarin video content. The platform's core concept is learning through real-world media, such as music videos, film trailers, news clips, and inspiring talks. This approach makes it a fantastic tool for improving listening comprehension and seeing how vocabulary is used naturally by native speakers, a crucial step for learners moving beyond basic textbook phrases.

Each video comes with interactive subtitles in characters, pinyin, and English. You can tap on any word to see its definition, hear its pronunciation, and see example sentences. You can then add these words to a personalised flashcard deck powered by a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) for effective memorisation. While FluentU offers excellent interactive video lessons, for more in-depth textual analysis of specific video segments, exploring various video to text converter tools can further enhance your study. It stands out as one of the best Mandarin learning app choices for contextual vocabulary building.

Best for: Intermediate learners looking to improve listening skills and learn vocabulary from authentic contexts.

• Key Features: Interactive subtitles with tap-to-define functionality, themed video courses, custom SRS flashcards.
• Pros: Excellent for real-world listening practice, learn vocabulary in context, wide variety of engaging content.
• Cons: Subscription is pricier than some competitors, not a complete grammar or production course on its own.
• Pricing: 14-day free trial; plans start from £15/month (billed annually) or £25/month (billed monthly).
• Website: https://www.fluentu.com/chinese/

11. The Chairman's Bao (Graded news for Chinese learners)

The Chairman's Bao (TCB) offers a unique and powerful way to transition from textbook Mandarin to understanding real-world content. It functions as a news source specifically designed for learners, publishing hundreds of new articles each year graded from HSK1 to HSK6+. This approach allows you to build your reading and listening skills using current and engaging topics, making it an excellent resource once you have a basic vocabulary foundation.

Each article includes high-quality audio recordings, interactive vocabulary lists with one-tap dictionary lookups, and clear grammar explanations. This integrated system provides crucial context, helping you understand how words and structures are used naturally. TCB is a standout tool for bridging the gap to authentic materials and is one of the best Mandarin learning app choices for intermediate students wanting to improve their comprehension with relevant, interesting content.

Best for: Upper-beginners and intermediate learners (HSK2+) looking to improve reading and listening with real-world content.

• Key Features: Graded news articles (HSK1-6+), full audio for every article, interactive vocabulary lists, grammar points, writing and speaking exercises.
• Pros: Excellent for building contextual vocabulary, aligns directly with HSK levels, constantly updated with new content.
• Cons: Not ideal for absolute beginners, requires a subscription for full access as free content is limited.
• Pricing: Limited free content; premium plans start from £9.99/month.
• Website: https://www.thechairmansbao.com

12. SuperChinese

SuperChinese brings a modern, AI-powered approach to the structured curriculum model, making it a strong contender for the title of best Mandarin learning app for motivated beginners. It offers a clear, HSK-aligned learning path that guides you from the absolute basics up to an intermediate level, claiming coverage to HSK5. Its standout feature is the AI-driven feedback on pronunciation and even sentence construction, which provides immediate, personalised corrections that are often missing in other self-study apps.

The platform is designed around short, manageable lessons that fit easily into a daily routine. This bite-sized format, combined with a sleek user interface, makes the learning process feel less daunting and more engaging. SuperChinese effectively gamifies learning without sacrificing its educational core, organising content into a logical sequence that builds upon previous knowledge, covering vocabulary, grammar, and even cultural insights.

While the AI tutor is a powerful tool for practice, learners may find they still need a dedicated dictionary app for more nuanced or advanced vocabulary searches. The app’s structure is ideal for those who thrive with a clear syllabus but want the flexibility of mobile learning. It successfully bridges the gap between gamified starter apps and more intensive, academic resources.

Best for: Beginners and lower-intermediate learners who want a structured, HSK-focused curriculum with modern AI feedback.

• Key Features: AI-powered speech recognition and feedback, HSK-aligned curriculum, bite-sized lessons, integrated cultural content.
• Pros: Highly structured learning path, modern and intuitive user interface, instant pronunciation correction.
• Cons: Premium features are necessary for full curriculum access, pricing can differ based on region and subscription plan.
• Pricing: Limited free version; Premium plans start from approximately £9.99/month, with discounts for longer commitments.
• Website: https://www.superchinese.com

Top 12 Mandarin Apps Comparison

Final Thoughts

Navigating the vast landscape of Chinese learning technology can feel overwhelming, but finding the best Mandarin learning app for your specific goals is entirely achievable. As we've explored, the "best" app is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it's the tool, or combination of tools, that aligns perfectly with your learning style, current proficiency level, and long-term aspirations in Chinese.

The key takeaway from our detailed comparison is the importance of moving beyond gamified introductions towards methods that build deep, contextual understanding. While apps like Duolingo and HelloChinese offer excellent, structured entry points for absolute beginners, learners often hit an "intermediate plateau". This is where specialised tools become crucial for making meaningful progress. The most effective long-term strategies centre on engaging with authentic, comprehensible input.

Choosing Your Path Forward

To select your ideal toolkit, reflect on your primary bottleneck.

• For vocabulary and character acquisition: An SRS-focused app like Mandarin Mosaic or the flashcard features in Pleco and Skritter will provide the structured repetition necessary for long-term retention.
• For listening and comprehension: Immersive apps like FluentU or graded readers such as The Chairman's Bao are indispensable for tuning your ear to the rhythms and patterns of natural speech. For those looking to deepen their engagement with authentic spoken Chinese, a list of the best AI transcription apps for podcasts can offer powerful assistive technology, allowing you to create your own study materials from native content.
• For foundational grammar and structure: A curriculum-driven app like LingoDeer or SuperChinese provides the explicit instruction needed to build a solid grammatical framework.

Implementing Your Tools for Success

Remember, no single app can do all the work for you. The most successful learners create a personalised ecosystem of resources. Your journey might start with a foundational app, but it should evolve to incorporate a powerful dictionary like Pleco, a character-writing tool like Skritter, and a sentence-mining platform like Mandarin Mosaic. Consistency is more important than intensity. Dedicate even 15-20 minutes each day to focused practice, and you will see remarkable progress.

Ultimately, learning Mandarin is a marathon, not a sprint. The right technology acts as your pacer, your coach, and your water station, making the journey more efficient and enjoyable. Embrace the process, celebrate small victories, and stay curious. The linguistic and cultural richness that awaits you is well worth the dedicated effort.

If you're ready to move beyond isolated vocabulary drills and build lasting fluency with real, contextual sentences, it's time to experience a more effective method. Discover how Mandarin Mosaic’s streamlined sentence-mining workflow can accelerate your learning and help you break through the intermediate plateau. Start building your personalised sentence bank today at Mandarin Mosaic.

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