Chinese learning apps with a lifetime price (no subscription)
11 of the Chinese learning tools we track sell a one-time price instead of, or beside, a subscription, from $24.99 to $499. GraphChinese, which wrote this page, is $49 once for lifetime access, for one course from HSK 0 to HSK 6. Every price below links to the vendor's own page or app-store listing, checked up to 15 October 2026.
| Tool | What it is | One-time price | The vendor's wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anki | general-purpose SRS flashcards | $24.99 | AnkiMobile for iPhone and iPad is $24.99 one-time on the US App Store (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Pleco | dictionary + reader + flashcards (mobile) | $29.99 | Basic Bundle: US $29.99 one-time (OCR, flashcards, stroke order, document reader, Mandarin audio, Kai font, Oxford Chinese Dictionary) (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| GraphChinese | one Mandarin course, HSK 0 to HSK 6, on a prerequisite graph | $49 | $49 once, yours for life |
| Pleco | dictionary + reader + flashcards (mobile) | $59.99 | Professional Bundle: US $59.99 one-time (Basic Bundle plus six dictionaries and a male TTS voice) (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| LingoDeer | multi-language app strong on Asian languages | $119.99 | US App Store in-app purchases list 'Multilingual Pass - Lifetime' at $119.99 and at $159.99, and a 'lifetime membership for new' at $299.99; the Multilingual Pass covers every language in the app, Chinese included (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Mandarin Corner | free YouTube video lessons + paid downloads/store | $120 | "One-Time Donation to Have Lifetime Access to all Content: $120" (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| SuperChinese | Chinese-only beginner-to-intermediate app with AI tutor | $149.99 | PLUS Lifetime: USD 149.99 one-time, on the vendor pricing page (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| HSKStory | graded reader app (HSK 1-9 fiction) | $199 | Lifetime: $199 once, or $149 while founding spots last; 32 were left on 15 Oct 2026 (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Coffee Break Chinese | audio podcast course with paid video season | $269 | Coffee Break Chinese Level 1: $269 USD or £199 GBP single payment, "inclusive of all tax"; installment option listed (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Chinese Zero to Hero | HSK-aligned video course (one-time purchase) | $295 | Ultimate Bundle (all courses): $295 USD, lifetime (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Yoyo Chinese | structured video course with practice app | $299 | Lifetime Learner: $299 one-time payment, lifetime access to everything in Learn (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Memrise | general vocabulary + video app | $329.99 | Pro Lifetime: $329.99 (US App Store) (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Migaku | immersion platform with two beginner Chinese courses, a browser extension and flashcard creation | $499 | $499 one-time (source, checked Oct 2026) |
A lifetime price is only as good as what it covers
The rows above are not the same kind of thing. Pleco and AnkiMobile are tools: a dictionary and a flashcard app, excellent, with no course inside them. LingoDeer's lifetime plan is a pass for many languages. Mandarin Corner calls its price a donation for its video library. The full Chinese courses on the list are the ones to compare with GraphChinese, and for those the question is how far each goes. The full comparison shows where each one says it stops.
Left out on purpose
- Lifetime prices that were a promotion, or that we could only see in a search engine's copy of a page, are not listed: Drops' and Rosetta Stone's, for example. A promotion is not a standing price.
- Subscriptions are left out here; how much it costs to learn Chinese works out a year of each one.
- Prices are US list prices before tax. The records behind every row are public under /data/compare/, one file per product.
Frequently asked questions
Which Chinese learning apps have a lifetime plan?
11 of the tools we track publish a one-time price: Anki, Pleco, LingoDeer, Mandarin Corner, SuperChinese, HSKStory, Coffee Break Chinese, Chinese Zero to Hero, Yoyo Chinese, Memrise, Migaku. They range from $24.99 to $499. GraphChinese is $49 once for lifetime access.
Is a lifetime plan cheaper than a subscription?
Only if you keep studying. A one-time price costs nothing more in year two, while a subscription bills again. Most learners need several years to reach HSK 4 or above, so a one-time price usually wins for anyone past the first few months. The per-year arithmetic for subscriptions is on the cost of learning Chinese page.
What should I check before paying once for a Chinese app?
What the price covers (one language, one level, or everything), whether it is a promotion, and how far the content goes. A lifetime plan for a beginner course stops being useful when the course ends; a lifetime plan for a dictionary or flashcard tool still leaves you to design your own course.
Is there a free version of GraphChinese?
No. The course is $49 once for lifetime access. Before paying you can try the interactive demo on the home page, take the placement test, and use the dictionary, the grammar reference and the HSK word lists without an account.
One course from HSK 0 to HSK 6, $49 once for lifetime access. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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