Wanyu vs Chinesimple
Chinesimple and Wanyu are opposite models for studying HSK: a guided cloud course, level by level, versus a local pay-once tool. Chinesimple (by Spain's Khanji School) is a veteran HSK course app whose interface speaks 12 languages — the natural comparison for anyone studying the HSK path. Here are both, with data.
What Chinesimple does well
Fair is fair: Chinesimple has been around since 2012, with millions of downloads and constant updates, and it has things Wanyu doesn't. Audio recorded by native speakers (actively re-recorded, too), pronunciation recognition through the microphone, stroke-order animations for writing, a huge dictionary, and a games-based course format that works for a lot of people. Its interface speaks 12 languages. It also distinguishes HSK 3.0 from 2.0 with separate progress — on that, a tie.
The two models, head to head
The big difference isn't one feature: it's the whole model. Chinesimple is one app per HSK level: the free version carries ads, and PRO is paid by subscription (~€9.99/month) or a lifetime purchase per level (~€69.99 for one level, Spanish App Store, July 2026; frequent sales). It requires an account and lives in the cloud.
Wanyu is a single app with the whole HSK 3.0 (levels 1–9): the entire engine plus HSK 1–2 free, and one €24.99 payment for everything else — every level, forever. No account, no cloud, no ads, and fully offline.
| Chinesimple | Wanyu | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Subscription or lifetime PER LEVEL (~€69.99/level) | One €24.99 payment for ALL of HSK |
| Ads in the free tier | Yes | No, never |
| Account & cloud | Yes | No: local, offline, JSON-exportable data |
| Algorithmic spaced repetition | No: review via games and notifications | Real FSRS, out of the box |
| Paste your own texts and study them | No: closed, predefined content | Yes: paste → deck with glosses + the Reader |
| Audio | Recorded by natives — its trump card | On every library word and sentence |
| Microphone pronunciation practice | Yes | No — on purpose: no microphone, ever |
| Animated stroke order | Yes | No (today) |
| HSK 3.0 + 2.0 tag | Yes | Yes |
When to choose Chinesimple
Chinesimple is better for you if…
- you want a course that takes you by the hand, with games and a set pace;
- native-recorded audio is your number-one priority;
- you want microphone pronunciation practice or stroke writing.
When Wanyu
Wanyu is better for you if…
- you want real spaced repetition (FSRS) instead of loose games — it's what makes vocabulary stick long-term;
- you want to turn what you already read into your syllabus: paste a text and study it;
- you'd rather pay once for the whole HSK than level by level;
- you don't want an account, ads, or a cloud dependency: your data, on your device, exportable.
The per-level math (just the facts)
Walking several HSK levels in Chinesimple means several lifetime purchases — one per level — or years of subscription. In Wanyu, the whole path (HSK 1–9) is one €24.99 payment. Chinesimple's prices vary by level, store and promotion, so check its store listing before deciding; the model — per level versus all at once — is the part that doesn't change.
Frequently asked questions
What is the core difference between Chinesimple and Wanyu?
The whole model: Chinesimple is a guided cloud course with one app per HSK level (subscription, or a lifetime purchase per level); Wanyu is a single local app with all of HSK 3.0 for one €24.99 payment, with no account and no ads.
Which one has better audio?
Audio recorded by native speakers is Chinesimple's strong suit. Wanyu has audio on every word and sentence of its library; and there is no microphone and no pronunciation scoring, on purpose.
Do both cover HSK 3.0?
Yes, both distinguish HSK 3.0 and 2.0 — a tie there. The difference is the reviewing: Chinesimple reviews through games and notifications; Wanyu through FSRS, a spaced-repetition algorithm that decides when you see each word.
Facts checked in July 2026 against Khanji School's site and the App Store / Google Play listings; prices and promotions change. More head to head: vs Anki · vs Pleco · vs Du Chinese.