Baozi vs Anki: which is better for HSK vocabulary?
The short answer
Anki is a free, very adjustable flashcard program: download a shared HSK deck, tune the scheduler, and it will serve you for years. What you get depends on the deck: audio, tones and stroke drawing are there only if its author added them. Baozi is built for HSK alone: the words of HSK 1–9 come ready with audio, stroke order and example sentences, reviews are scheduled for every word, and you can check your tones with the microphone and write characters from memory. Anki for control and no cost; Baozi to start in a minute with everything for HSK in one place.
Choose Anki if
- you want it free for good;
- you like making and editing your own cards;
- you study other subjects with flashcards too.
Choose Baozi if
- you want the HSK words ready, each with audio, stroke order and examples;
- you want your tones checked and characters written, not only flipped;
- you'd rather not tune settings.
Side by side
Prices in US dollars as listed on October 17, 2026; they can differ by country and change. opens the page each fact comes from.
Getting started
With Anki you install it, find an HSK deck on AnkiWeb (one popular deck for HSK 3.0 levels 1–9 has 11,042 notes), check that it follows the list you need and has audio, and pick your settings.
With Baozi you open it in the browser and start the first chapter. The words, their audio, stroke order and example sentences are already there.
How reviews are scheduled
Anki lets you choose between the SM-2 and FSRS schedulers and adjust almost every setting. That's its strength, and a lot to learn.
Baozi keeps a memory strength and a review date for every word and has nothing to tune: you choose how many minutes a day and it fills them with the words you're about to forget.
Beyond flashcards
An Anki card is whatever the deck makes it.
Baozi adds the other things the exam asks for: quizzes, sentences with a missing word, listening, reading, writing characters from memory, a microphone tone check, a free HSK 1 practice test and, in Pro, practice papers for HSK 2–6.
Price
Anki is free on computers, Android and the web; the iPhone and iPad app costs $24.99 once.
Baozi is free for flashcards, daily reviews and word audio, without limits; quizzes, sentences and writing have free rounds every day. Pro removes the limits for $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
Questions
Is there a good Anki deck for HSK?
AnkiWeb has many shared HSK decks and their quality varies. Check that a deck follows the list your exam uses (HSK 2.0, the 2021 standard or HSK 3.0) and that it has audio.
Is Baozi free?
Flashcards, daily reviews and word audio are free without limits. Quizzes, sentences and writing have free rounds every day; Pro removes the limits for $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year.
Can I use both?
Yes. You can keep Anki for your own cards from classes or books and use Baozi for the HSK words of your level.