Comparisons/vs Skritter
the handwriting specialist - Skritter is the reference for learning to write characters by hand, with a mature spaced-review engine over it. It also carries HSK and TOCFL decks in both scripts - the overlap with LinZi is real; the price and scope are the difference.
| Feature | Skritter | LinZi |
|---|---|---|
| Handwriting pedagogy | ✓ the category reference | ~ guided stroke-order practice |
| Vocabulary decks (HSK + TOCFL) | ✓ wide deck library | ✓ both syllabi built in |
| Graded stories / reading | — | ✓ 1,750 texts |
| Dictionary | — per-entry glosses | ✓ 50,000 entries + web lookup |
| Tone & pronunciation tools | ~ | ✓ tone echo, pitch contour, minimal pairs |
| Traditional + zhuyin | ✓ both supported | ✓ plus zh-TW audio |
| Price | — ≈$15/mo · ~$100-150/yr | ✓ free tier · $39.99/yr · $79.99 once |
| Free tier | ~ short trial | ✓ 600-word curriculum + stories |
✓ full support · ~ partial or paid add-on · — not offered. Pricing is approximate and region-dependent.
Pick Skritter if: Learning to handwrite characters is your primary goal and budget is secondary.
Pick LinZi if: You want balanced Mandarin - reading, vocab, tones - with writing practice included.