Best 8 Pleco Alternatives in 2026: Learn Chinese Smarter
Chinese Phrasebook is our top pick for travelers who need to speak Mandarin right now, no character study required. Below, we’ve collected seven other apps that cover dictionary, handwriting, flashcards, and full courses. Each one fits a different learning style, so you can start without getting buried in features.
Quick comparison table
| App | Best for | Platform | Free/Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Phrasebook – Speak (top pick) | Spoken survival phrases | iOS | Freemium |
| Hanping Chinese Dictionary | Offline Android dictionary | Android | Freemium |
| trainchinese | Dictionary + SRS all-in-one | iOS, Android | Freemium |
| Skritter: Write Chinese | Character writing with stroke order | iOS, Android | Paid |
| Written Chinese Dictionary | Radical breakdowns and OCR scanner | iOS, Android | Freemium |
| HelloChinese - Learn Chinese | Bite-sized beginner course | iOS, Android | Freemium |
| Naver Dictionary | Example sentences and camera translation | iOS, Android | Free |
| TOFU Learn | Free HSK flashcards | iOS, Android | Free |
1. Chinese Phrasebook – Speak
Best for: Travelers who need spoken Mandarin right now, not flashcards or character drills.
Chinese Phrasebook strips away everything that slows you down. Instead of vocab lists and writing practice, you get 30 categories of real-world phrases: Transport, Food, Hotel, Shopping, Small Talk, Nightlife, and more. Tap any phrase and a native speaker says it at full speed. You can also slow down the audio to really lock in the tones.
Every line shows pinyin with tone marks, plus a word-by-word breakdown that explains why the phrase works. Tap the heart on any phrase to build a personal cheat sheet that’s ready in seconds. No accounts, no logins. Everything runs offline on your device.
This app is deliberately not a dictionary, handwriting tool, or flashcard powerhouse. It’s the Pleco alternative for people who just need to speak, fast. If you want to order noodles, find a metro line, or ask where the bathroom is, Chinese Phrasebook puts the exact phrase on your screen and in your ear.
- 30 practical categories, from airport survival to casual dating
- Native-speaker audio with adjustable playback speed
- Pinyin with tone marks and teaching notes for every phrase
- Offline access, no account required
- Personal favorites list for instant recall
Get Chinese Phrasebook or grab it from the App Store.
2. Hanping Chinese Dictionary
Best for: Android users who want a thorough offline dictionary with Anki support.
Hanping Chinese Dictionary is the offline dictionary we recommend most for Android users leaving Pleco. Its handwriting recognition lets you scribble an unknown character on the screen, and you get native audio pronunciations and stroke animations for every entry. A standout feature is direct export to AnkiDroid: words you look up flow straight into your flashcard deck. Everything works without an internet connection, and the interface is clean and fast. For Android-only users who want a reliable, deep dictionary with Anki integration, Hanping delivers the core reference experience without any fluff.
3. trainchinese
Best for: Anyone who wants a dictionary, measure words, and SRS in a single app.
trainchinese combines a full dictionary with a built-in spaced-repetition flashcard system. You can browse thousands of vocabulary lists, check measure words, and watch character animations. The SRS engine times your reviews, and flashcards include handwriting practice so you write characters while you learn. Available on iOS and Android, it’s a solid all-rounder if you want dictionary lookups and SRS without juggling separate apps. If you used Pleco’s flashcard module, trainchinese offers a similar integrated workflow with extra polish on mobile.
4. Skritter: Write Chinese
Best for: Learners serious about writing characters with correct stroke order.
Skritter: Write Chinese is focused entirely on teaching you to write characters with proper stroke order. The app’s interactive canvas gives real-time feedback if you draw a stroke in the wrong direction. Spaced repetition makes sure you review characters before they fade. The library covers HSK characters, textbook lists, and custom decks, and the smooth writing interface makes practice feel natural. This is not a dictionary; it’s a dedicated handwriting trainer that syncs across iOS and Android. Pair it with a dictionary app for lookups, and you’ll have a powerful writing-focused alternative to Pleco.
5. Written Chinese Dictionary
Best for: Beginners who want radical breakdowns and a handy OCR scanner.
Written Chinese Dictionary makes character learning approachable with radical breakdowns and clear stroke animations. The built-in OCR scanner lets you point your camera at Chinese text on signs, menus, or packaging to get instant translations. Each entry includes measure words, example sentences, and pinyin, and you can turn any dictionary entry into a custom flashcard. The design is friendly for newcomers without skimping on detail, so you can gradually build character knowledge. It’s a great Pleco alternative if you found Pleco’s interface intimidating but still want radical information and a camera tool.
6. HelloChinese - Learn Chinese
Best for: Beginners who want a step-by-step course instead of a reference tool.
HelloChinese organizes learning around bite-sized dialogues, speech recognition, and handwriting practice. The gamified flow keeps you motivated with streaks and rewards, making it feel more like a language app than a dictionary. You learn to speak, listen, read, and write in a cohesive progression, and the speech recognition gives instant feedback on your pronunciation. It’s not built for quick single-word lookups; it’s designed to take you from zero to basic conversations. If Pleco’s reference-heavy approach left you wanting a guided course, HelloChinese fills that gap on both iOS and Android.
7. Naver Dictionary
Best for: Learners who value example sentences, idioms, and camera translation.
Naver Dictionary goes deep on usage, offering abundant example sentences, related words, and idiomatic expressions. The camera translation feature is fast: point your phone at Chinese text and translations overlay on the screen. Native audio pronunciations are crisp, and related words with contextual notes help you understand how a term is actually used. It also covers Korean and Japanese, so it’s handy if you’re tackling multiple Asian languages. For dictionary lookups with rich usage examples, Naver Dictionary is a strong, free alternative to Pleco’s dictionary module.
8. TOFU Learn
Best for: Zero-cost spaced repetition with stroke writing for HSK prep.
TOFU Learn is completely free and tightly focused on vocabulary review. It comes loaded with HSK word lists and supports custom decks. Each flashcard includes stroke-order writing practice on a simple canvas, along with detailed character breakdowns like etymology and components. You’re not just memorizing a shape. The spaced repetition algorithm keeps sessions efficient, and the whole app works offline. There’s no dictionary or OCR; it’s a lean vocabulary trainer. For Pleco users who only want an SRS system without paying, TOFU Learn delivers high-quality review at zero cost.
How we picked these apps
We looked for apps that cover the core features Pleco users rely on: dictionary, handwriting input, OCR camera, and flashcards. To avoid overlap, we chose tools with distinct strengths, some Android-only and others cross-platform. Offline capability and clear native audio were must-haves for pronunciation. We skipped apps that just clone Pleco. Instead, we hand-picked alternatives that solve specific problems better or in a different way.
Frequently asked questions
Can these apps fully replace Pleco?
No single app replicates every Pleco module. But you can pair Chinese Phrasebook for spoken phrases with a dictionary like Hanping or trainchinese to cover lookups, OCR, and flashcards.
Which app is best for handwriting practice?
For full stroke-order training, Skritter is the top choice. TOFU Learn offers lighter writing practice inside its flashcards, and trainchinese also includes handwriting in its SRS reviews.
Do any of these apps work offline?
Yes. Chinese Phrasebook, Hanping, Naver Dictionary, and most dictionary apps work completely offline. Course-based apps like HelloChinese may need a connection for streaming audio but often let you download lessons beforehand.
The verdict
Chinese Phrasebook is the best Pleco alternative for travelers who need to speak, not study. The other seven apps fill specific gaps: offline dictionary, character writing, SRS, and full courses. That lets you build a toolkit that fits your goals. Grab Chinese Phrasebook if you want to skip the learning curve and start speaking today: Get Chinese Phrasebook.