The best Duolingo alternatives for learning Chinese

Why learners look past Duolingo for Chinese

Duolingo is good at one thing: making a daily habit. Its Chinese course is free, with Super at $9.99 a month, and it has 4.7 stars from millions of ratings on the US App Store. But it is not organised by HSK level and has no HSK mock exams, so it does not tell you which HSK level you are at or whether you could pass a test. If you want that, it is time to look at something else.

Prices were checked on October 2, 2026, mostly on each product's own site or app store listing.

The alternatives, by what you want

HSK University: for a level you can prove

HSK University follows the HSK, the official Chinese proficiency exam that universities, scholarships and employers ask for. It teaches HSK 3.0 Bands 1–3 and HSK 4–5 in 104 lessons with vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening and flashcards, and full-length mock exams (HSK 2.0 format for now) show where you stand. The free plan never expires and needs no card: most lessons are open, with 3 per course and one section in most lessons kept for paid plans. It runs on the web, Android and Windows, in six interface languages including Spanish, Russian and Burmese. The limits: no iPhone app yet, and the audio is AI text-to-speech rather than native-speaker recordings. See the courses.

HelloChinese: the closest swap

HelloChinese feels the most like Duolingo, short game-like lessons with speech recognition, but built only for Chinese. It has 4.9 stars from about 23,000 ratings on the US App Store. Its main course is organised by HSK levels (older guidelines), but it has no mock exams, so it is a better beginner experience, not an exam plan.

SuperChinese: for speaking

SuperChinese focuses on conversation, with AI pronunciation and speaking feedback from its assistant, CHAO. It has 4.9 stars from about 3,800 ratings on the US App Store. Plus costs $11.99 a month, $69.99 a year or $149.99 lifetime on its website.

Du Chinese: for reading

Du Chinese is a graded reader with short stories and articles at increasing levels, with audio. It has 4.9 stars from about 4,600 ratings on the US App Store.

Anki and Pleco: the tools to keep

Anki is a free flashcard program with community-made HSK decks; the iPhone app costs $24.99. Pleco is the Chinese dictionary used by learners at every level, free with paid add-on bundles. Neither replaces a course, but both work next to any of the options above.

Chinese Zero to Hero and Skritter

Chinese Zero to Hero sells self-paced video courses for HSK 1–6 and a 7–9 course, with free courses and paid ones from $33, paid once. Skritter teaches you to write characters by hand, with HSK 3.0 decks, for $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

A simple setup that works

A setup that works for many learners: one main course and one or two tools. A common setup: an HSK course for structure and a level to aim at, Pleco for looking words up, and a graded reader once you reach HSK 3. Keep Duolingo for a five-minute warm-up if you like the streak. For a side-by-side of the HSK apps, see the best HSK apps in 2026, and for these three head to head, HSK University vs Duolingo vs HelloChinese.

Questions people ask

What is the best alternative to Duolingo for Chinese?

For structure and a level you can prove, HSK University teaches the HSK syllabus with full mock exams and a free plan (we make it). For a similar beginner app, HelloChinese. For speaking, SuperChinese. For reading, Du Chinese.

Is Duolingo good for learning Chinese?

It is good for building a daily habit and learning first words. It is not organised by HSK level and has no HSK mock exams, so learners who want a measurable level usually add or switch to a course built around the HSK.

Is there a free alternative to Duolingo for Chinese?

Yes. HSK University has a free-forever plan that opens most lessons in each of its five courses (HSK 1–5), HelloChinese and SuperChinese are free to start, Du Chinese has free lessons, and Anki and Pleco are free tools for vocabulary and dictionary lookups.