Skritter is one of the most well-known apps for learning to write Chinese characters. It's been around since 2008 and has built a loyal following among serious Mandarin learners. But is it the right choice for Singapore primary school students? Here's my honest review.
The Good: What Skritter Does Well
Skritter's Genuine Strengths
Let me be clear: Skritter is a quality app. If your primary goal is stroke-order mastery, it delivers:
- Best-in-class stroke practice — Draw characters on screen and get real-time feedback on stroke order, direction, and accuracy
- Instant correction — The app shows exactly where your strokes went wrong, helping build muscle memory
- Polished experience — Well-designed interface that feels premium
- Built-in spaced repetition — Characters you struggle with appear more frequently
- Both Simplified and Traditional — Useful if your child needs to learn both
For adults learning Mandarin as a second language, or learners focused purely on handwriting, Skritter is genuinely excellent.
The Bad: Where Skritter Falls Short for Singapore Parents
The Real Issues
- It's a niche tool, not a complete solution: Skritter focuses almost exclusively on character writing. It doesn't comprehensively cover reading recognition or meaning recall, both of which are tested in school exams.
- Subscription model adds up: At S$14.98/month or S$138.98/year (published price, Oct 2026), you're looking at S$834+ over your child's primary school years. That's a significant ongoing cost.
- Not MOE-aligned: Skritter uses standard HSK word lists and general Chinese vocabulary. It doesn't follow Singapore's MOE syllabus, so your child might master characters that never appear in their Ting Xie or exams.
- No grade-level organisation: There's no way to filter content by Primary 1, 2, 3, etc. A P1 student could be learning P4-level characters without realising it.
- Designed for general learners: The app serves a global audience learning Mandarin, not specifically Singapore students following the MOE curriculum.
Writing Practice vs Complete Vocabulary Mastery
Here's the fundamental question Singapore parents need to ask: What does my child actually need to succeed in school Chinese?
Skritter answers the question "Can my child write this character correctly?" That's valuable, but it's only one piece of the puzzle.
School exams test three distinct skills:
The Three Skills Your Child Needs
- Reading recognition: Seeing a character and knowing how to pronounce it (tested in oral exams, comprehension)
- Writing recall: Hearing a word and being able to write the characters (tested in Ting Xie)
- Meaning understanding: Knowing what the word means (tested in comprehension, composition)
A child who can write a character perfectly but doesn't recognise it when reading, or doesn't know what it means, will still struggle in school.
This is why "writing-only" apps like Skritter, while excellent at what they do, may not be the most efficient use of your child's limited study time. You need a tool that builds all three skills for the specific vocabulary your child will be tested on.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Skritter | MOE Anki Deck |
|---|---|---|
| Cost over 6 years | S$834+ | $599 total |
| Payment Model | Monthly subscription | One-time purchase |
| MOE Syllabus Alignment | Generic HSK lists | Exact MOE vocabulary |
| Grade Organisation | Not by SG levels | P1-P6 organised |
| Writing Practice | Finger tracing | Recall + write |
| Reading Cards | Limited | Full coverage |
| Meaning Cards | Basic | Dedicated cards |
| Spaced Repetition | Built-in SRS | Anki's proven SRS |
| Offline Access | Limited | Full offline |
| Total Cards | Varies | 13,453 cards |
Want to try MOE-aligned vocabulary?
Try a free sample — lessons 1 to 3 of your child's level, aligned to the MOE syllabus. See if spaced repetition works for your child.
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The Bottom Line
Choose Skritter if: You want dedicated stroke-order practice with real-time feedback, you're not specifically targeting MOE exams, and you're comfortable with an ongoing subscription.
Choose the MOE Anki Deck if: Your priority is helping your child master the exact vocabulary they'll be tested on in school. You want comprehensive coverage of reading, writing and words in context. And you prefer paying once rather than monthly.
For most Singapore parents whose children need to pass Ting Xie and PSLE Chinese exams, the MOE Anki Deck offers better alignment to school requirements at a fraction of the cost. See how the deck works, or compare pricing.
Try Before You Buy
Try a free sample — lessons 1 to 3 of your child's level, aligned to the MOE syllabus. All six levels together are SGD 599.
- Free sample — no credit card needed
- 13,453 cards
- No subscription
The free sample is lessons 1 to 3 of your child's level. Each full level is SGD 199, all six SGD 599.
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What's in the sample
- Lessons 1 to 3 of your child's level, Standard Chinese, as an Anki deck: 2024 syllabus for P1 to P3, old syllabus for P4 to P6.
- Each full level has Standard and Higher Chinese. P1 to P3 come in both the old and the 2024 syllabus.
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