Review: Chinese Dictionary App Pleco

One gloomy afternoon in Beijing, thirty years ago. Chinese language student Lily gets out her dictionary to look up four mysterious characters. Half an hour later her noodles have gone cold and the battle-scarred book still hasn’t provided any answers. In a desperate state, Lily smashes the book against the window. Glass shatters everywhere. One Chinese student gets hurt. Lily has to cover his medical costs, but she can’t and is forced to give up her studies and leave China forever.

This story of tragic failure clearly occurred in the dark era before the invention of Chinese dictionary app Pleco. And this – I admit – is a completely superfluous article that makes a point of stating the obvious about the app that is favored by the majority of Chinese learners, although there are alternatives like Hanping and others. It does seem that once you found a proper Chinese dictionary app with various useful extensions one tends to stick (and grow) with it, but let’s continue the story.

The reason my Chinese dictionary became filling material for my bookcase

The Pleco Chinese dictionary dates back to the year 2000. Founder Michael Love, who was studying Chinese in China back then, revolutionized learning Chinese by inventing a Chinese dictionary app that you can use both on- and offline on numerous devices. Because of Michael Love’s app, nowadays, hardly any Chinese learner uses old-fashioned paper dictionaries. In fact, the old-school way of looking up a character by their radical is becoming a less and less relevant skill that is only being taught to sinologists as far as I know.

Good to know: Pleco is pronounced like “pleeco” with a long “e”. The name refers to a type of aquarium catfish (scientific name Hypostomus plecostomus) which can also be seen in the company’s logo.

Why ride a donkey if you have a car…

The Pleco dictionary has been installed over 5 million times in the Google app store and some of its users have been working with Pleco for more than twenty years now. The main reason can be found in the continuous improvement of the app (and that is not subscription based?). Pleco has over time become much more than an online dictionary. Additional features include different Chinese fonts, handwriting input, OCR, graded readers, flashcards, audio and multiple dictionaries.

In 2010 Pleco was the first to launch an OCR system for Chinese characters which caused another revolution in Chinese learning. Say you were sitting in a Chinese restaurant: all you had to do is scan the characters from the menu with Pleco and the definitions would appear automatically on your screen. For the first time, you could read the whole menu, instead of randomly picking Caterpillar Fungus Duck or ordering the same dish over and over again.

My learning history with Pleco – one of millions

Pleco has played a major part in my learning and continues to do so. Especially in China, I spent hours with Pleco opened on my tablet or smartphone – in class, at home reading texts or even watching TV. What I personally like the most about Pleco are actually mostly basic features that are bundled in one singular app:

• You can use handwriting and Pinyin to find almost any character you come across.
• Pleco shows you the stroke order of the 500 most common characters. Great when you are just starting out. And more can be added.
• Pleco provides useful example sentences and word combinations which makes it easier to remember a new character.
• Speaking of memorizing: one of the best features is the search history. Pleco automatically stores all your entries, showing the exact date and time when you looked up a particular word. Making notes can hardly be more very convenient.
• You can use your bookmarks to make flashcards (it’s an add-on) and practice new and old vocabulary.
• It’s up-to-date and comprehensive. The lexicon covers a large area from internet slang and international movie stars all the way back to Chinese dynasties, classic texts and historical figures.
• Pleco contains not just simplified characters but also the traditional ones, so it’s Taiwan- and Mainland-friendly.
• You can copy Chinese texts to the clipboard reader and then simply tap on unknown characters to see their meaning. Useful when you’re trying to get into the details of an news article or almost any other text.

But it doesn’t stop there: Dictionaries and other add-ons

Perhaps you have read this review up to this point and thought: Pleco was the first serious Chinese dictionary app on the market – a solid product that filled a gap – and, in the absence of any real competition, it has remained that way ever since.

This conclusion falls short, because in addition to the standard features I’ve already mentioned, Pleco offers a wealth of extras – for instance, an unparalleled number of dictionary expansions that you can add to the app. This is gold for serious students of Chinese.

In addition, there are specialized dictionaries. Notable examples include the Outlier dictionaries, which delve deeper into the etymology and structure of Chinese characters. There are also dictionaries dedicated to Chinese medicine, as well as collections of idioms and set phrases.

Solid choice for serious learners: Pleco Basic Bundle

Of course, the average learner does not need all of these dictionaries. However, if you are looking for more than the free standard package, the Basic Bundle is a great option. For a small price (€ 31,99), it provides several highly useful extras, including extra voice recordings, OCR, flashcards, more stroke order diagrams and the Document Reader:

If you want to make serious progress with Chinese, this collection is highly recommended.

Pleco’s graded readers

Another reason for Pleco’s success lies in its wide range of reading material. While perhaps less essential, the step from looking up individual Chinese characters to developing actual reading proficiency in Chinese is both logical and natural. Even better, you can tailor the reading experience to your own preferences, and look up new words or add them to your flashcards instantly.

In addition to simplified versions of Chinese classics like Journey to the West, there is a broad selection of graded readers from various publishers. A solid collection for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, though perhaps a bit on the pricey side.

To get the up-to-date prices, please visit the Pleco Store or open the app. The prices listed here might not be fully accurate.

Actually buying these graded readers is a matter of choice. Personally, I find the simplified classics a great way to get acquainted with these famous texts. I also found the individual news texts from The Chairman’s Bao useful, even though they are somewhat dated by now.

Why I still recommend Pleco

In short, while Pleco may not boast the most modern interface, it remains an indispensable tool. One I wouldn’t want to be without, even in the age of AI and the recent surge of alternative apps. Its free features are already remarkably comprehensive and are likely more than enough for most beginners. Those who need more can add individual features according to their needs and budget, or simply opt for the Basic Bundle right away – a bit like upgrading from a handsaw to a chainsaw for a surprisingly modest price.

That’s the beauty of Pleco: you pay only for the extras you actually need. It’s also a reliable, no-nonsense companion. The features are practical and straightforward, there’s no subscription to worry about, and there are no unpleasant surprises – just steady improvements happening behind the scenes. And if you ever switch to a new phone, restoring your purchases is easy.

Pleco has stood the test of time, earned its reputation through years of dependable service, and continues to evolve. Even in 2026, it remains a tool I can wholeheartedly recommend.