MandarinAI vs Hack Chinese

Looking for a Hack Chinese alternative?

Hack Chinese is a well-made, focused app — a fast spaced-repetition trainer for Mandarin vocabulary, with a deep catalog of HSK, exam and textbook word lists. It's a genuinely good tool. MandarinAI is built for learners who want the review to lead somewhere — into reading, context and stories — rather than staying inside a flashcard deck.

If your goal is pure vocabulary memorization against a specific book or exam, you'll be happy with either. The difference shows up in what surrounds the review: MandarinAI pairs the same spaced repetition with illustrated graded stories, example sentences and audio on every word, a free public dictionary, and short stories generated from the exact words in your deck. Here's an honest, side-by-side look.

Side by side

Feature by feature

MandarinAI compared with Hack Chinese, feature by feature
FeatureMandarinAIHack Chinese
Spaced-repetition schedulingFSRS — a modern, open algorithmIts own tuned SRS
HSK word listsHSK 1–5 and all HSK 3.0 bandsHSK levels included
Textbook & exam catalog (YCT, IGCSE, course books)Build your own from any text you pasteLarge pre-made catalog — a real strength
Custom word listsPaste a chapter, a show, anythingAdd words via the built-in dictionary
Example sentencesOn every word, with audioFor many words, with audio
Native pronunciation audioWords + full sentences, natural & slowed100,000+ words
Free public dictionary (no account)Open dictionary pages, no loginBuilt-in dictionary, inside the app
Read illustrated graded stories in the appBound graded reader, page by pageGraded-reader word lists to pre-learn; reading happens elsewhere
AI stories built from your own deck~95% words you already know—
Ask an AI tutor about a word or sentenceIn-context explanations—
Free plan & trialFree-forever plan (up to 200 cards) + 14-day Pro trial21-day free trial; no permanent free plan
Starting priceFree · Pro $79/yr (~$6.58/mo)From $12/mo billed annually

Hack Chinese details were checked against hackchinese.com in July 2026. Features and pricing can change — see their site for the latest. Where Hack Chinese takes a different approach (for example, graded readers as word lists to pre-learn rather than in-app reading), the table says so rather than scoring it as a missing feature.

Who each one is for

Two good tools, two different jobs

MandarinAI

Choose MandarinAI if you want more than flashcards

  • You want review that connects to reading — the words you study turn up in illustrated graded stories and in stories generated from your own deck.
  • You value example sentences and native audio on every word, plus a free dictionary you can share without an account.
  • You want to start on a genuine free plan and only pay once you know it fits.

Hack Chinese

Choose Hack Chinese if you want a focused vocabulary SRS

  • You mainly want to memorize vocabulary efficiently and don't need reading, tutoring, or story generation in the same app.
  • You're studying a specific textbook or exam and want its exact word list ready-made — Hack Chinese's catalog here is excellent.
  • You're happy pairing a dedicated flashcard tool with a separate reading app.

The verdict

So which should you pick?

Both apps are genuinely good at spaced repetition, and Hack Chinese is a specialist that does one thing extremely well: if efficient vocabulary memorization against a specific textbook or exam is all you need, its deep catalog of ready-made lists is hard to beat. MandarinAI is for learners who want that review to connect to context — the same words you study show up in illustrated graded stories and in stories generated from your own deck, with example sentences, audio, songs and slang guides alongside, and a free plan to start on. If “more than a flashcard app” is what you're after, MandarinAI is the stronger fit; if “the best focused flashcard app” is, Hack Chinese is a great choice.

Questions people ask

Is MandarinAI a good Hack Chinese alternative?

Yes — especially if you want more than a flashcard app. MandarinAI has FSRS spaced repetition like Hack Chinese, but it also lets you read illustrated graded stories in the app, generates short stories from the words in your own deck, shows example sentences and audio on every word, and includes a free public dictionary. If your priority is a focused vocabulary trainer with the deepest catalog of textbook and exam lists, Hack Chinese remains an excellent choice.

What's the difference between MandarinAI and Hack Chinese?

Hack Chinese is a focused spaced-repetition vocabulary app with a large catalog of ready-made textbook and exam word lists. MandarinAI is a broader study loop: FSRS review that feeds into illustrated graded reading and AI stories written from your own deck, with example sentences, native audio, a free dictionary, songs and slang guides. Both use spaced repetition at the core; MandarinAI adds reading and context around it.

Is there a free alternative to Hack Chinese?

MandarinAI has a free-forever plan: the full spaced-repetition study loop on HSK lists, every word and example sentence, up to 200 active cards, and one AI story a week. Hack Chinese offers a free trial (21 days, no credit card) rather than a permanent free tier, so MandarinAI is a good option if you specifically want to keep studying for free.

Does MandarinAI use spaced repetition like Hack Chinese?

Yes. Both apps schedule your reviews with spaced repetition — showing each word right before you'd forget it. MandarinAI uses FSRS, a modern open algorithm, while Hack Chinese uses its own tuned spaced-repetition system. The core idea is the same; the difference is mostly in the algorithm and in everything MandarinAI wraps around the review.

See the difference for yourself

Start free and read your first story built from your own words. It takes about five minutes to feel how the review and the reading fit together.

Get started for free

Free forever plan · 14-day Pro trial · No credit card required