HelloChinese review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
HelloChinese suits learners focused on Chinese who want speaking practice and a wide refund window. A free tier lets you start at no cost, and the 30 day money back period outlasts phase6 at 14 days, though it sits below the longest window in the category.
Key facts
- Best for
- Chinese learners who want a free app with speech recognition, offline lessons and a long refund window.
- Free tier
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Languages
- Chinese (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Speech recognition
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Offline use
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Learning method
- Mobile app
- Official website
- hellochinese.cc
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
- Elsewhere
- facebook.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free tier is included, so study can start at no cost, unlike Reading Eggs, which has no free tier.
- The money back period runs 30 days, longer than the 14 days at phase6.
- Speech recognition is part of normal use, so pronunciation practice needs no separate purchase.
- Offline use is supported, so lessons keep working when the connection drops.
- Content is built around Chinese alone, which suits learners with a single target language.
Cons
- The language list holds Chinese, so learners working on several targets need a second app.
- Support runs on email only, with no phone line or live chat listed.
- Study is app based, with no live tutor option in the package, unlike the tutor marketplaces in the same ranking.
- The 30 day window is shorter than the longest period in the online tutor category, at 84 days.
Who it suits
- Learners who want Chinese practice with speech recognition built into daily use.
- People who prefer to start at no cost and judge the paid plan later, with 30 days to change their mind.
- Travellers and commuters who need lessons to keep running without a connection.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want a shorter refund commitment, since phase6 offers 14 days against the 30 days here.
- Learners who prefer a choice of refund lengths, since Bunpro offers a window of 7 to 30 days.
- People who want to enter on a paid plan straight away, since Reading Eggs has no free tier and this brand has one.
Core features
HelloChinese keeps its feature set small and practical. Speech recognition is included in the app, so pronunciation work happens during ordinary practice rather than through a separate purchase. Offline use is supported, so a lesson keeps running when the connection drops and progress does not stop on a train or a flight. A free tier is part of the offer, so the first stretch of material can be opened before any payment details are entered, and the paid plan becomes a decision taken afterwards rather than a condition of starting. The refund window is the other part of the value: the money back period runs 30 days, long enough to work through a fair stretch of the course and still ask for money back. Taken together, the daily essentials are covered, speaking practice, offline access, a free start and a wide refund window, with none of them sitting behind a separate tier.
What you get free
Free access is the clearest reason to begin with HelloChinese. A free tier is included, so the app can be opened and used before any payment details are entered. That suits learners who want to see the pace and the layout of the lessons before deciding, and it costs nothing to find out. The refund side carries the same caution into paid plans: the money back period runs 30 days, so a subscription can be started, used for weeks and still cancelled with room to spare. That makes for a forgiving setup in a subject where progress is slow, and the free start is the safest of the decisions ahead. The paid plan follows later, and the refund window is what keeps that decision reversible.
How HelloChinese compares
Frequently asked questions
What does HelloChinese cost to get started?+
Nothing at the start. A free tier is included, so the app can be opened and used before any payment details are entered. Paid plans sit on top of that, and the money back period of 30 days means a subscription can be cancelled well after paying. For scale, monthly plans across the site run at a median of €18.59 and yearly plans at €145.48.
What is the money back period on a paid plan?+
The money back period runs 30 days. That is longer than the 14 days at phase6, and it sits within the window of 7 to 30 days offered by Bunpro, which gives a choice of lengths. Against the 29 day median for apps in this category, the window here is the more generous one.
What should I expect to pay at renewal?+
The refund window is the practical guard. With a money back period of 30 days, a plan can be paid for, used and still cancelled after real study rather than on the strength of a sales page. Across the site, yearly plans sit at a median of €145.48, with most falling between €79 and €285.06, which is the band a renewal is worth checking against.
Which languages can I learn with HelloChinese?+
Chinese is the focus. The language list holds Chinese, so the lessons, review drills and pronunciation work all serve that single target. A learner working on another language at the same time would need a different app, since there is nothing inside HelloChinese to switch to.
Can I practise speaking without a live teacher?+
Yes, speech recognition is built in. Study here is app based, so pronunciation is checked during ordinary lessons instead of in a booked session, and offline use means that practice still works on a journey. The feedback comes from the app rather than from a person, so anyone wanting a tutor alongside the lessons would look elsewhere.
Can I use HelloChinese without an internet connection?+
Study is app based and offline use is supported, so lessons keep working when the connection drops. That suits travel, commuting and patchy signal, and speech recognition stays part of the practice rather than disappearing offline. The 30 day money back period means a paid plan can still be refunded after such a test.
How do I get help from HelloChinese?+
Support runs on email. Questions that need detail, a screenshot or an explanation of a plan can be written out and answered in full, which suits billing and account matters. No phone line or live chat appears in the listed channels, so a spoken conversation is not the route offered here.
Does HelloChinese include live tutor lessons?+
No live lessons are listed. The method is app, so learning happens in the app through lessons, speech recognition and offline practice rather than in a booked live session. Learners who want a teacher as the main part of the product are better served by an online tutor marketplace, where plans are built around tutors rather than app content.
Sources
- hellochinese.cc checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Learning method, Speech recognition
“HelloChinese is the most fun and effective app for learning Chinese”
- hellochinese.cc/contact checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“sending us an email directly at support@hellochinese.cc”
- hellochinese.cc/privacy checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Free tier
“In order to create a free HelloChinese account”
- hellochinese.cc/terms checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Money-back period
“offer a 30 day money back guarantee”
- play.google.com/store/apps/details checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Languages, Offline use
“Simplified and traditional Chinese(Mandarin) are both supported”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Price from, Price per month, Price per year, Free trial length.
Related by the facts
HelloChinese
Chinese learners who want a free app with speech recognition, offline lessons and a long refund window.