# ModernChineseDictionary vs 辞海

The clearest difference is rating: ModernChineseDictionary at 3.9 against 辞海's 2.4. ModernChineseDictionary also leads on ratings volume (64 vs 7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). 辞海's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 62%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ModernChineseDictionary sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and 辞海 sells 19 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ModernChineseDictionary holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ModernChineseDictionary has 64 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of ModernChineseDictionary's written reviews are positive against 71% of 辞海's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ModernChineseDictionary ships an update every 6 weeks, 辞海 monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ModernChineseDictionary | 辞海 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/modernchinesedictionary/id1330896529/reviews)** | [2.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1447836840/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **64** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 61.7% of reviews | **70.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 180 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wanyouzhidian Digital Media Technology(Beijing) Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570087117) | [Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1361906246) |

## What reviewers say

### ModernChineseDictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/modernchinesedictionary/id1330896529)

This official dictionary app provides comprehensive Mandarin Chinese vocabulary, pronunciation, and character standards. It features expert editorial content, authentic audio, animated stroke guides, and smart search tools for learners and enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** 70,000+ verified entries, 8 specialized dictionaries, Authentic pronunciation audio, Animated stroke-order guides, Voice, camera, radical, Pinyin search, Daily vocabulary lessons, Cloud sync for word lists

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 涵芬VIP会员连续包月 | $2.99 | per month |
| 18币 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 涵芬 (1个月VIP) | $2.99 | one-time |
| 40币 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 涵芬 (6个月VIP) | $9.99 | one-time |
| 78币 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 优惠购_78 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 88币 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 优惠购_88 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 现代汉语词典+涵芬联合会员优惠购_96 | $12.99 | one-time |
| 98币 | $14.99 | one-time |
| 涵芬 (1年VIP) | $14.99 | one-time |
| 现代汉语涵芬联合会员 | $17.99 | one-time |
| 涵芬（3年） | $29.99 | one-time |


### 辞海

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1447836840)

This comprehensive dictionary app offers extensive word, idiom, encyclopedia, and poetry content. It features multiple search methods, including voice and image recognition, and provides rich multimedia resources for a deep understanding of Chinese language and culture.

**Highlights:** Extensive word and idiom definitions, Encyclopedia and poetry content, Voice and image recognition search, Knowledge graph visualization, Historical and cultural features, Multimedia resources

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 购买辞海数字版7天会员 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版会员 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版3月会员 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版新会员月卡 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 辞海网络版新会员月卡 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版2月会员 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版月卡 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 辞海网络版会员月卡 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版季卡 | $5.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版5折年卡 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 辞海网络版会员季卡 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版6月会员 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 辞海+英汉大词典1年联合会员 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版会员年卡 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 辞海网络版会员年卡 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版2年会员 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 辞海VIP+夸克网盘SVIP | $29.99 | one-time |
| 购买辞海数字版3年卡 | $39.99 | one-time |
| 辞海网络版会员3年卡 | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ModernChineseDictionary free?

ModernChineseDictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 辞海 free?

辞海 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ModernChineseDictionary or 辞海?

ModernChineseDictionary is rated higher. ModernChineseDictionary averages 3.9 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while 辞海 averages 2.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do ModernChineseDictionary or 辞海 have ads?

Neither ModernChineseDictionary nor 辞海 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ModernChineseDictionary or 辞海?

ModernChineseDictionary ships an update every 6 weeks, and 辞海 monthly. Most recently, ModernChineseDictionary was updated on September 22, 2026 and 辞海 on August 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*