MandaHack Chinese vs Manda Chinese
The Manda Team · · 11 min read
Hack Chinese and Manda both use spaced repetition to help you remember Chinese vocabulary, but that's about where the similarity ends. Hack Chinese is a focused, polished vocabulary SRS: you study curated word lists in short timed sessions. Manda is a reading-first app: you learn words in the context of real texts you actually want to read, and reviews grow out of that. Here's how they stack up.
Feature comparison
Key: ✅ has it · ❌ doesn't · 🟡 partial / different approach · 🔜 coming soon · ❓ unverified
The Manda column is drawn from Manda's feature list. The Hack Chinese column is compiled from their website and public reviews as of July 2026; cells marked ❓ still need verifying.
Core approach
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Primary method | Vocabulary SRS / flashcard decks | Reading real texts + SRS |
| Learn from your own pasted text | ❌ | ✅ Interactive reader |
| Learn from curated word lists | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free to use | ❌ (trial only) | ✅ Free |
Reading & text tools
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive reader (paste any text) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Click-any-word lookup (pinyin + definitions) | ❌ | ✅ |
| OCR image → Chinese text | ❌ | ✅ In-browser |
| SRT subtitle import | ❌ | ✅ |
| EPUB book import | ❌ | ✅ |
| Curated public-domain book library | ❌ | ✅ |
| Graded Stories/Articles library | ❌ | ✅ |
| Graded News library (with dates) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Speed reading (RSVP) | ❌ | ✅ 120–400 wpm |
| Read-aloud + karaoke highlight | Per-word audio only | ✅ Full text |
| Saved texts | ❌ | ✅ |
| Reading history | ❌ | ✅ |
| HSK text difficulty analysis | ❌ | ✅ |
| Reader word stats (known/learning/unknown) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Per-sentence English translation | ❌ | ✅ |
| Smart Pinyin (hide pinyin by your vocabulary) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom word-segmentation settings | ❌ | ✅ |
Spaced repetition & study modes
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Spaced repetition | ✅ | ✅ |
| Self-rating | Know / don't-know (pinyin + meaning) | Again / Hard / Good / Easy |
| Memory-strength model | ✅ Strong / Weak memory | ✅ Forgetting curve + auto-promote |
| Forgetting-curve visualization | ❌ | ✅ Per-word sparkline |
| Timed study sessions (2–20 min) | ✅ | ❌ (by list/source instead) |
| Cram mode (ignore schedule) | ✅ | 🟡 Flashcards on any list |
| Flashcard sessions | ✅ (core mode) | ✅ |
| Cloze (fill-in-the-blank) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Passage (banked cloze) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Learning Path (Duolingo-style lessons) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Word ↔ meaning matching game | ❌ | ✅ |
| Due-for-review page + live count | ✅ | ✅ |
| Listen → English (audio-only) cards | 🟡 Audio + oral mode | ✅ |
| Daily new-word & review limits | 🟡 Learning-speed presets | ✅ Numeric caps |
| Pause reviews while away (vacation) | 🟡 Halts new words only | ✅ Halts reviews too |
Vocabulary & dictionary
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Full dictionary search | Their own dictionary | ✅ |
| Handwriting input / search | ❌ | ✅ Offline canvas |
| Word detail pages (shareable URL) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Example sentences | ✅ | ✅ |
| Audio pronunciation (TTS) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Personal notes per word | ✅ | ✅ |
| Study List / Known Words | ✅ | ✅ Both, mutually exclusive |
| Bulk-mark words | ✅ | ✅ From reader |
| Chengyu (成语 idiom) database | 🟡 Regular dictionary only | ✅ Hand-curated |
Word lists & curriculum
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| HSK lists | ✅ HSK + "new HSK" | ✅ HSK 3.0 (1–6, 7–9) |
| TOCFL lists | ✅ | ✅ Novice 1–2, Levels 1–5 |
| YCT / BCT / Business Chinese | ✅ | ❌ |
| Textbook vocab lists | ✅ Many textbooks | ❌ |
| Custom / your-own lists | ✅ | ✅ |
Display & personalization
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Pinyin display | ✅ | ✅ |
| Zhuyin / Bopomofo | ❌ | ✅ |
| Tone marks vs. numbers | ✅ Both | ✅ Both |
| Tone colors | ❌ | ✅ Site-wide |
| Traditional & Simplified | ✅ | ✅ Auto-detect + convert |
| Chinese font selector | ✅ 4 fonts | ✅ 10 fonts |
| Dark mode | ✅ | ✅ + follow-OS |
| Keyboard shortcuts | ✅ (review workout) | ✅ Reader + study |
Progress tracking
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Stats dashboard | ✅ Graphs, %s, 1-yr history | ✅ Customizable widgets |
| Day streak | ✅ | ✅ |
| Study activity heatmap | ✅ | ✅ 26 weeks |
| Upcoming-reviews chart | ✅ | ✅ 30 days |
| Achievements / badges | ❌ | ✅ 320 badges |
Platform, offline & data
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Web app (any browser) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Works fully offline | ❌ | ✅ Desktop app |
| Installable PWA | ❓ | ✅ |
| Desktop app (Windows/macOS) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Android app | ❌ | 🔜 Coming soon |
| iOS app | ❌ | ❌ (PWA instead) |
| Account required | ✅ | ❌ Optional |
| Cloud sync | ✅ | ✅ Optional |
| Import / export (JSON, CSV, Anki) | 🟡 CSV only | ✅ incl. Anki .apkg |
| Community (comments, bug/feature boards) | ❌ | ✅ |
Pricing & access
| Feature | Hack Chinese | Manda |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ❌ | ✅ Free in browser |
| Free trial | ✅ 20 days | n/a |
| Monthly price | $18/mo | Free |
| Annual price | $12/mo billed annually | Free |
TL;DR
If you want the fastest, most streamlined way to memorize HSK, exam, or textbook vocabulary and you don't mind paying a subscription, Hack Chinese is an excellent, purpose-built tool. If you'd rather learn words in the context of real Chinese you actually want to read — and you want it free, offline, and installable — Manda is built for you.
The single biggest difference: Hack Chinese optimizes reviewing word lists, while Manda optimizes reading and lets your vocabulary grow out of what you read.
What is Hack Chinese?
Hack Chinese is a paid, web-based vocabulary trainer built around a finely-tuned spaced-repetition system. It does one thing and does it well: help you memorize a lot of Chinese words, efficiently.
You study curated lists (HSK, YCT, Business Chinese/BCT, and dozens of popular textbooks) in short, timed sessions (roughly 2–20 minutes). As you review, words move between a "strong memory" and "weak memory" state, and the scheduler brings each one back right before you're likely to forget it. There's audio for every word and example sentence, a stats dashboard with graphs and streaks, a "cram" mode for drilling a specific list before an exam, and support for custom lists (you can even upload your own vocabulary).
What it deliberately isn't: a reader, a dictionary you browse, or a content library. It assumes you're getting your reading and listening practice elsewhere and just need a great tool to lock the vocabulary into long-term memory. It's web-only (no dedicated mobile app) and requires a subscription after a 20-day free trial.
What is Manda?
Manda is a free, reading-first Chinese learning app that runs entirely in your browser and works offline. Instead of starting from a deck of words, you start from text.
Paste any Simplified or Traditional article (or import an EPUB book, drop in .srt subtitles, or OCR a photo) and Manda turns it into an interactive reader. Click any word for instant pinyin and definitions, save the ones you want to learn, and they flow into a built-in spaced-repetition schedule (with Again / Hard / Good / Easy grading, forgetting-curve sparklines, and automatic promotion to "known"). Around that core sit a full dictionary, handwriting lookup, graded Stories and News libraries, a Duolingo-style Learning Path, flashcard/cloze/passage study modes, HSK and TOCFL list pages, a chengyu (idiom) database, tone-colored text, per-sentence translation, achievement badges, and more.
It's free with no account required, installable as an app on desktop (Windows/macOS) and as a PWA, and everything runs locally after the first load. An optional free account adds cloud sync across devices.
Two philosophies: SRS decks vs. learning from real texts
This is the heart of the comparison, and it's less about features than about how you believe vocabulary sticks.
Hack Chinese's model is deck-first. You decide which words to learn up front (usually a list: HSK 4, a textbook chapter, an exam), and the SRS drills them until they're solid. The strength is coverage and efficiency: you can be certain you've systematically worked through every word on a list, and the timed sessions make daily practice frictionless. The trade-off is that words are learned somewhat in isolation: you meet the context later, out in the wild.
Manda's model is reading-first. You meet words in context first, while reading something you chose, and only the words worth keeping get added to your review schedule. The strength is that context does a lot of the heavy lifting: you learn how a word is actually used, not just its dictionary gloss, and motivation stays high because you're reading real material. The trade-off is that it's less regimented: your vocabulary grows from what you read, so you have to read consistently (though Manda's Learning Path and HSK/TOCFL list pages add back as much structure as you want).
Neither is "correct": they suit different temperaments. Grinders who love a tidy queue tend to prefer the deck model; readers who lose steam drilling isolated flashcards tend to prefer the reading model.
Which is better for beginners?
Beginners need two things: a foundation of high-frequency vocabulary, and enough structure to stay on track.
For the very first few hundred words, a structured, drill-based approach works well, and here the two tools are closer than you'd think. Hack Chinese's curated HSK lists plus its efficient SRS are a genuinely great way to hammer the core vocabulary fast. Manda answers this with its Learning Path: Duolingo-style lessons that introduce 10 words at a time with audio, example sentences, and a matching game, level by level through HSK and TOCFL.
Where beginners start to pull ahead is reading. As soon as you know a few hundred characters, learning accelerates when you can read graded material, and Manda's graded Stories, News, and "recommended for you" rows are designed exactly for that transition, with every unknown word one tap away. Pure flashcard decks can feel abstract at this stage because you rarely see the words doing anything.
Our honest take: absolute beginners who love gamified structure and want everything free should start with Manda's Learning Path plus its graded stories. Beginners who specifically want to grind a syllabus for an upcoming exam, and are happy to pay, will be very well served by Hack Chinese.
Pricing: subscription vs. free
This is a clear, practical difference.
- Hack Chinese offers a 20-day free trial, then costs $18/month, or $12/month billed annually (about $144/year). There's no permanent free tier.
- Manda is free. No account is required to use it; an optional free account adds cloud sync. There's nothing to pay and no trial clock.
If cost is a factor (or you simply want to keep a tool around for years without a recurring bill), this is the most black-and-white item in the whole comparison.
Who should use Hack Chinese?
Hack Chinese is a great fit if:
- You want a single-purpose, highly polished vocabulary trainer and value focus over breadth.
- You're studying for a specific exam (HSK, BCT) or working through a textbook, and want the matching word list ready to go.
- You love a finely-tuned SRS and a clean daily routine of short, timed sessions.
- You're happy to pay a subscription for that polish.
- You already get your reading and listening practice elsewhere and just need retention.
Who should use Manda?
Manda is a great fit if:
- You want to learn by reading real content: articles, books, subtitles, or your own pasted text.
- You want an all-in-one app: reader, dictionary, spaced repetition, graded content, and word lists in one place.
- You want it free, with no subscription.
- You need offline access or want to install it as an app.
- You want extras like Traditional characters, Zhuyin, handwriting lookup, or chengyu.
- You stay motivated by reading things you actually care about.
Can you use both?
Absolutely, they're complementary rather than mutually exclusive. A common pattern is to drill core exam vocabulary in a dedicated SRS while doing extensive reading in a separate reader. You could use Hack Chinese for systematic list coverage and Manda for reading and context.
That said, Manda is designed to cover both jobs (structured lists via the Learning Path and HSK/TOCFL pages, and reading), so many learners won't need a second tool. And if you ever want to move your words, Manda can export a ready-to-import Anki deck.
The bottom line
Both apps are built on solid spaced-repetition science, and both are good at what they aim to do. Hack Chinese is the better pure vocabulary trainer (polished, exam-focused, and efficient) if you're happy to pay for a dedicated deck app. Manda is the better all-round, reading-first app: free, offline, installable, and designed so your vocabulary grows out of the Chinese you actually read.
If you're on the fence, the deciding factor is usually cost and style: Manda is free to try for as long as you like, so there's no harm in starting there and adding Hack Chinese later if you find you want a second, drill-only tool.
The information on this page is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but no guarantees are made. Hack Chinese's features and pricing may change over time; for the most up-to-date information, visit their website.