Honest comparison · 2026
Skritter vs Anki
Skritter and Anki solve overlapping problems in very different ways. Skritter makes you write each character stroke by stroke on screen and grades your handwriting, with stroke order and tone data already built in. Anki is a general-purpose SRS engine that will do whatever you configure it to do — including character practice, if you build or download the right deck.
Bottom line
Skritter if you want to write, Anki if you want to recognise
Pick Skritter if producing characters by hand matters to you — for exams that require handwriting, or because writing cements recognition. Pick Anki if your goal is reading and recall, or if you refuse to pay a subscription.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Skritter | Anki |
|---|---|---|
| Handwriting input | Core feature — graded stroke by stroke | Not built in |
| Stroke order data | Included for every character | Depends on the deck |
| Content included | Curated lists (HSK, textbooks) | You build or download decks |
| Tone practice | Built in for Chinese | Deck-dependent |
| Setup effort | Low — pick a list and start | High — decks, addons, settings |
| Pricing | $14.99/mo · $99.99/yr | Free |
| Free tier | Free trial only | Entirely free on desktop, Android, web |
| Works for Japanese too | Yes | Yes |
Based on publicly available feature documentation as of 2026. Confirm pricing on each tool's site before purchasing.
Best for: Skritter
Learners who need to hand-write characters — school courses, HSK written papers, or anyone who finds writing makes characters stick.
Best for: Anki
Readers and budget-conscious learners who want total control, and who already have an Anki habit worth keeping.
Worth knowing
Where InputDojo fits
Character drilling of either kind is deliberate practice on individual items. What neither tool does is put those characters back into running text, which is where you find out whether you actually know them. InputDojo imports real Chinese and Japanese content, shows unknown-word density before you commit to a text, and tracks HSK and JLPT coverage as you read. Words you save export to Anki, so it layers on top of an existing Anki setup rather than competing with it.
FAQ
Is Skritter worth the price?+
It is the most expensive tool in this category, and it is the only one that genuinely grades handwriting. If you will not hand-write characters, you are paying for the feature you are not using.
Can Anki do handwriting practice?+
Not natively. Some addons and decks approximate it, but nothing matches Skritter's stroke-level grading — with Anki most people write on paper alongside.
Do I need to learn to write characters at all?+
For reading and speaking, no — many fluent learners never hand-write. For exams with a written component, or if writing helps your recall, yes.