Flashcards, Anki, HanziMemo: which one for learning Chinese?
Honest comparison of SRS tools for Chinese — strengths, weaknesses, and which fits your actual level.
Every Chinese learner eventually bumps into flashcards. Paper, Anki, Pleco, Quizlet, HanziMemo… the market is crowded and opinions clash. This article settles the debate: what actually works, what wastes your time, and how to pick the tool that fits your level.
Paper flashcards: still useful in 2026?
Yes, in two specific cases:
- Handwriting characters during the first week — the motion locks in motor memory.
- Reviewing 15 words before an oral exam, no screen, no notifications.
But to memorize 2,000+ words over 6 months, paper falls flat: you can't sort cards by personal difficulty, or bring them back at the right moment. That's exactly what software SRS solves.
Anki: the SRS mastodon
Anki is free on desktop and Android (paid on iOS), open source, and absurdly powerful. Its strength: full customization. Its weakness: you have to customize everything.
What Anki does great:
- Very large volumes (10,000+ cards without breaking a sweat).
- Deep statistics, community add-ons (FSRS, morphman…).
- Free sync via AnkiWeb.
Where Anki struggles (for Chinese beginners):
- No native UI for tones or HSK audio out of the box.
- You must download or build a deck — quality varies a lot.
- 4–8 hours of learning curve before you're fluent with it.
Who's it for? Advanced learners, tinkerers, or students already using Anki for other subjects.
Want to try it yourself?
HanziMemo uses spaced repetition to help you memorize HSK vocabulary effortlessly. Free, 20 cards per day, HSK 1 to 6.
Start for freePleco: a dictionary that does flashcards
Pleco is a legendary Chinese–English dictionary. Its (paid) SRS add-on works well for on-the-fly capture of words met while reading. Ideal for intermediates already tackling real texts — less suited to a structured HSK path.
HanziMemo: built specifically for HSK
HanziMemo takes a different bet: instead of a general-purpose tool, it's an app dedicated to Chinese and HSK 3.0 lists. Cards ship ready to go — no creating, no downloading, no sorting.
- HSK 1–6 decks preloaded, aligned with the 2021 HSK 3.0 reform.
- FSRS enabled by default, with specific weighting for tone errors vs. meaning errors.
- Native audio for every word, contextual example, character breakdown.
- Realistic daily goal (10–20 new cards) to avoid burnout at week 3.
Pick in 30 seconds
| Your profile | Recommended tool |
|---|---|
| Beginner, targeting HSK 1–4 | HanziMemo (out of the box) |
| Intermediate reading real texts | Pleco + HanziMemo |
| Advanced, custom decks, multi-language | Anki + FSRS |
| Zero screen, short offline reviews | Paper cards (small volume) |
Mistakes to avoid with any tool
1. Stacking apps. 3 flashcard apps in parallel = 3 unsynced SRSs. Pick one, stick for 6 weeks.
2. Downloading a 5,000-word deck on day one. Add them progressively (10–20/day). See also our article on SRS.
3. Reviewing only one direction (Chinese → English). To speak, you also need the reverse. Alternate, or enable bidirectional cards.
Frequently asked questions
Anki or HanziMemo for starting Chinese?
HanziMemo if you want to start in 5 minutes with ready-to-go HSK decks. Anki if you already know the tool and want full customization — plan 4 to 8 hours to be fluent with it.
Do I need to pay for a good Chinese flashcard tool?
No. Anki (desktop/Android) and the free tier of HanziMemo are more than enough for HSK 1–4. Paid tiers mostly add comfort (extended audio, unlimited cards, mock exams).
How long per day on flashcards?
15 to 25 minutes daily, consistently. See our SRS article for why consistency beats long sessions.
Can I combine several flashcard apps?
Technically yes, not recommended early on: each app has its own SRS schedule and you'll end up reviewing the same word twice. Pick one, stick 6 weeks, then re-evaluate.