Comparing the two language apps to help you pick the right one for China.
| Google Translate | Pleco | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Offline Simplified Chinese text and camera translation when the language pack is downloaded before travel. | Offline Chinese-English dictionaries with character, pinyin, handwriting and pronunciation lookup. |
| Essential? | Yes | No |
| Pro Tip | Download and test Simplified Chinese offline before departure. Google's online service can be unreachable on mainland networks, while the saved language pack continues to work. | Use Pleco for words and individual characters rather than full conversations. Basic dictionaries are free, but live camera OCR is a paid add-on. |
| App Store | Download | Download |
| Play Store | Download | Download |
We recommend Google Translate for language in China. Download and test Simplified Chinese offline before departure. Google's online service can be unreachable on mainland networks, while the saved language pack continues to work.
Google Translate is our top recommendation for language in China. Offline Simplified Chinese text and camera translation when the language pack is downloaded before travel.
Google Translate vs Pleco in China