Pleco
Vocabulary and flashcards: a Chinese dictionary with handwriting and camera lookup, flashcards and a document reader.
Prices checked 12 Oct 2026 · How we check
Is Pleco worth it?
Yes, if you learn Chinese from any source and want one dictionary for every word you meet, with add-ons you buy once rather than renew.
What it costs. Free to start. From $29.99 once (Basic Bundle) to $59.99 (Professional Bundle).
What's free. The dictionary is free for good, with two dictionaries, handwriting lookup, 500 stroke-order animations and no ads.
Skip it if you want to be taught: Pleco is a dictionary and flashcard tool, with no lessons of its own.
What learners rate it. 4.7 out of 5 from 1,923 ratings in Apple's US App Store and 4.6 from 44,262 on Google Play, checked 12 Oct 2026.
Free Basic Bundle: $29.99 once
In our comparison: strongest on the free tier, weakest on speaking practice.
- Annual plan
- —
- Monthly plan
- —
- Lifetime plan
- $59.99 once, the Basic Bundle's add-ons plus five more dictionaries. Also sold: camera lookup, flashcards, stroke order, the document reader, Mandarin audio and the Oxford dictionary, $29.99
- Free tier
- Free to keep using
The dictionary is free for good, with two dictionaries, handwriting lookup, 500 stroke-order animations and no ads; the full flashcard system, camera lookup and the document reader are add-ons you buy once. - Languages
- 2
- Speech recognition
- —
- Live tutoring
- —
- Offline mode
- —
- Placement test
- —
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- —
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
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How a Pleco lesson works
- What you do
- Look a word up by typing, drawing it or pointing your camera at it, hear it, watch its stroke order, then make it a flashcard with one tap.
- What comes back
- Automatic: exercises are marked right or wrong. No person checks your work.
- Not included
- A live teacher or stated CEFR levels.
How a lesson works in a vocabulary app
Plans and prices
Every consumer plan on Pleco's own pricing page or app-store listing, in US dollars unless marked. Per month is the plan price divided by its term; promotions are noted, never used for the figure.
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free appFreeTwo dictionaries, handwriting lookup, 500 stroke-order animations and no ads. | Other | $0 | $0/mo | the dictionary |
| Basic BundleBought once. Pleco's own web store sells the bundles at a modest discount; the App Store price is the same $29.99. | Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time | camera lookup, flashcards, stroke order, the document reader, Mandarin audio and the Oxford dictionary |
| Professional BundleBought once. Pleco's own web store sells the bundles at a modest discount; the App Store price is the same $59.99. | Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time | the Basic Bundle's add-ons plus five more dictionaries |
What Pleco says about itself
| Feature | What Pleco says |
|---|---|
| CEFR levels | — |
| What it is | Vocabulary and flashcards. A Chinese dictionary with handwriting and camera lookup, native-speaker audio, stroke-order animations, a document reader and a flashcard system, with paid add-ons bought once. |
| Languages offered | 2: Cantonese, Chinese |
| Free tier | The dictionary is free for good, with two dictionaries, handwriting lookup, 500 stroke-order animations and no ads; the full flashcard system, camera lookup and the document reader are add-ons you buy once. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android |
| Offline mode | — |
| Speech recognition | — |
| Live tutoring | — |
| Placement test | — |
| Refund or trial | — |
| Company | Pleco Inc. |
How Pleco compares
Pleco is strongest on the free tier, weakest on speaking practice. Each criterion is scored out of 5 from what each app says about itself and from independent reviews, to compare apps that do the same job; it is not a review of the app. How we score.
| Feature | Score (of 5) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching depth | 2 | A Chinese dictionary with handwriting and camera lookup, flashcards and a document reader |
| Speaking practice | 1 | — |
| Language coverage | 1 | 2 languages |
| Free tier | 5 | The whole product is free, with ads or limits |
| Price per month | – | Free; Basic Bundle: $29.99 once; a one-time price is not scored as a price per month |
| Trial and refund | 2 | — |
| Offline use | – | — |
| Staying power and bugs | – | Not available |
Languages you can learn on Pleco
2 languages as listed by Pleco.
Cantonese, Chinese
Compare Pleco
- Best app to learn Chinese (Mandarin): every app that teaches it, compared
- Language apps you pay for once, compared
- Best vocabulary and flashcard apps, compared
- Pleco against any other app, side by side
- All 41 apps in one table
References
- Pleco: prices and bundles (checked 12 Oct 2026)
- Pleco: home page (checked 12 Oct 2026)
- Apple App Store: Pleco listing (checked 12 Oct 2026)
- Google Play: Pleco listing