GraphChinese vs Skritter for learning Chinese
$99.99 per year (shown against $179.88, '44% savings') (source, checked Oct 2026). Decks for HSK 1-6 and new HSK 3.0 levels 1-9 (source, checked Oct 2026). GraphChinese is one course from HSK 0 to HSK 6 on 829 topics, with stroke-order writing as one part of it, $49 once for lifetime access.
Which should you choose?
- Choose GraphChinese if handwriting is one of several things you need: 829 topics from the four tones to HSK 6, each served after what it rests on, with stroke-order writing, grammar, narrated graded readings and reviews, paid once.
- Choose Skritter if handwriting is the specific gap, a class or textbook already covers grammar and reading, and you want feedback on every stroke you draw. Handwriting recognition in the browser with real-time, stroke-level feedback (source, checked Oct 2026).
- Switching is not worth it if you already follow a course or class you like and Skritter is the writing drill beside it. A second course does not improve that setup.
Skritter is the best dedicated tool I know for one important job: learning to write Chinese characters by hand and keeping them in memory. Skritter goes deep on characters and words. GraphChinese is the whole path, and character writing is one part of it.
Skritter and GraphChinese side by side
| Skritter | GraphChinese | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 per month; $59.99 per 6 months (shown against $89.99, '33% savings'); $99.99 per year (shown against $179.88, '44% savings') (source, checked Oct 2026, archived) | $49 once, yours for life |
| Free tier | 'Guest accounts enjoy free access to select decks forever'; Review mode and full study need premium (source, checked Oct 2026, archived) | A free 28-question HSK placement test, no signup (source, checked Oct 2026); Free without an account: a demo with real lessons, the dictionary, the grammar reference, HSK word lists, free tests and tools (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Trial and refund | 7-day free trial on every plan; pays by card via Stripe or PayPal (source, checked Oct 2026) | Not for you? Email and we refund it (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Levels | Decks for HSK 1-6 and new HSK 3.0 levels 1-9 (source, checked Oct 2026) | One course from HSK 0 (tones, pinyin, stroke order, radicals) through HSK 6 (source, checked Oct 2026); Most HSK 6 vocabulary topics are cut alphabetically, not by theme or dependency (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| HSK alignment | — | 195 grammar points from HSK 1 to HSK 6, public, each with the pattern, worked examples and the topics it rests on (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Characters and writing | Handwriting recognition in the browser with real-time, stroke-level feedback (source, checked Oct 2026); App Store listing: 'First, you learn a character's meaning, reading, and tone; then practice writing it!' (source, checked Oct 2026, archived) | Stroke-order writing practice, on by default for learners who start from zero and switchable for everyone else (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Speaking | — | Speaking practice built on the comment + question method; there is no live tutor or person to speak with (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Spaced repetition | Spaced repetition built in; algorithm not published (source, checked Oct 2026) | flashcards are scheduled by FSRS; course topics come back on a mastery-review schedule (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Import and export | — | Imports Anki .apkg decks with their audio and images, scheduled by the same FSRS engine; review history is not carried over (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Content | 12,500+ lists to study (textbooks and user lists) (source, checked Oct 2026); Its decks include a 16-episode Ultimate Chinese Character course (source, checked Oct 2026, archived) | 829 topics in prerequisite order; jump ahead or claim one, and reviews check it (source, checked Oct 2026); 102 narrated graded readings, Foundations to HSK 6 (source, checked Oct 2026); 38 built-in flashcard decks (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android (source, checked Oct 2026) | Runs in the browser on phone and desktop; there is no app to install (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| Recent change | iOS 4.0.1 (Sep 22 2026) added daily study reminders and an improved in-app video experience (source, checked Oct 2026) | — |
| Also | — | An adaptive placement test starts you at your frontier (source, checked Oct 2026); A free Chinese-English dictionary with 124,727 entries and 66,178 example sentences, no signup (source, checked Oct 2026) |
— means our research sheet has no sourced fact for that row, not that the product lacks it.
Same learner, 12 and 24 months
| 12 months | 24 months | |
|---|---|---|
| Skritter | $99.99: $99.99 per 12 months, US list price, before tax (source, checked Oct 2026) | $199.98: 2 × $99.99 per 12 months = $199.98, US list price, before tax (source, checked Oct 2026) |
| GraphChinese | $49: $49 one-time, US list price, before tax | $49: $49 one-time, US list price, before tax |
US list prices before tax, cheapest published path to that much access.
What Skritter does well
- Handwriting practice with real feedback. Handwriting recognition in the browser with real-time, stroke-level feedback (source, checked Oct 2026). Drawing each character stroke by stroke is how handwriting sticks.
- Each character is taught before it is written. App Store listing: 'First, you learn a character's meaning, reading, and tone; then practice writing it!' (source, checked Oct 2026).
- A very large library. 12,500+ lists to study (textbooks and user lists) (source, checked Oct 2026). Its decks include a 16-episode Ultimate Chinese Character course (source, checked Oct 2026).
- It follows the exam. Decks for HSK 1-6 and new HSK 3.0 levels 1-9 (source, checked Oct 2026).
- It is on every device. Web, iOS, Android (source, checked Oct 2026).
- You can try it first. 7-day free trial on every plan; pays by card via Stripe or PayPal (source, checked Oct 2026).
Where its scope ends
- Focused on characters and words, not grammar or reading. You study characters and words from lists and decks. The grammar and reading those words belong to come from a textbook or class elsewhere.
- Little is free. 'Guest accounts enjoy free access to select decks forever'; Review mode and full study need premium (source, checked Oct 2026).
- It is a subscription. $99.99 per year (shown against $179.88, '44% savings') (source, checked Oct 2026). You pay that for as long as you use it.
- The scheduler is not published. Spaced repetition built in; algorithm not published (source, checked Oct 2026).
One skill versus the whole path
Writing characters in stroke order is one part of GraphChinese, inside a complete course. Writing is on by default when you start from zero and switchable for everyone else.
All 829 topics, from the four tones through HSK 6 grammar, live in one dependency graph, and the course serves each topic after the topics it rests on. You can jump ahead or claim a topic you already know, and reviews then check the claim.
HSK 6 is the exception: most of its vocabulary topics are alphabetical slices of the word list rather than a dependency order.
So the characters you write are sequenced against the tones, pinyin, vocabulary and grammar they depend on, flashcard decks are scheduled by FSRS and course topics come back on a mastery-review schedule, 102 narrated graded readings use what you learned, and speaking is practised with the comment and question method.
If you are switching from Skritter
- Take the free placement test and start at your level.
- GraphChinese does not import Skritter lists. It imports Anki
.apkgdecks; review history does not come across, so imported cards start their schedule fresh. - If handwriting feedback is what you value most, keep Skritter for writing and use the course for everything else. Turn writing off in GraphChinese so you do not practise the same characters twice.
Frequently asked questions
Is GraphChinese or Skritter better for learning Chinese?
Skritter is the better dedicated tool for handwriting, with stroke-level feedback. GraphChinese is the broader course: it includes stroke-order writing and wraps it in a dependency graph of 829 topics from HSK 0 to HSK 6 with grammar, graded reading, spaced repetition and a speaking method. Skritter is a subscription; GraphChinese is $49 once for lifetime access.
Does GraphChinese teach Chinese character writing like Skritter?
Yes, in correct stroke order. Writing practice is on by default when you start from zero and switchable for everyone else. The difference is that writing is one part of a full curriculum rather than the whole product, so it is sequenced against the tones, pinyin, vocabulary and grammar it depends on. On handwriting alone, Skritter goes deeper.
Is Skritter a full Chinese course?
Skritter is focused on characters and words, not grammar or reading. App Store listing: 'First, you learn a character's meaning, reading, and tone; then practice writing it!' (source, checked Oct 2026). Its decks include a 16-episode Ultimate Chinese Character course (source, checked Oct 2026). GraphChinese is the whole path from zero to HSK 6, serving each topic after the topics it rests on.
How much does Skritter cost compared to GraphChinese?
$14.99 per month (source, checked Oct 2026). $59.99 per 6 months (shown against $89.99, '33% savings') (source, checked Oct 2026). $99.99 per year (shown against $179.88, '44% savings') (source, checked Oct 2026). GraphChinese is $49 once for lifetime access.
How this comparison was made
Written by Carson, who makes GraphChinese, the product being compared. 13 facts about Skritter, checked 15 October 2026: all 13 from Skritter’s own pages and store listings. Archived copies of price pages are linked where we have them. The sheet behind this page is public at /data/compare/skritter.json; tell us if anything is out of date at /contact.
See the whole path instead of reading about it. The demo on the front page runs real lessons from the course, and the placement test, dictionary and grammar reference are free, no signup. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
Try the free demo