# ModernChineseDictionary vs 辞海HD

ModernChineseDictionary and 辞海HD both sit at 3.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of 辞海HD's written reviews are positive against 62% of ModernChineseDictionary's. ModernChineseDictionary's advantage is ratings volume (64 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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HD sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for ModernChineseDictionary against 4.0 for 辞海HD. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ModernChineseDictionary has 64 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of ModernChineseDictionary's written reviews are positive against 100% of 辞海HD's.

ModernChineseDictionary ships an update every 6 weeks, 辞海HD monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ModernChineseDictionary | 辞海HD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/modernchinesedictionary/id1330896529/reviews) | **[4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hd/id1448828039/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **64** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 61.7% of reviews | **100.0% 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 | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| 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HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hd/id1448828039)

This comprehensive dictionary app offers extensive definitions, etymologies, and historical context for Chinese words and idioms. It features advanced search, multimedia resources, and interactive knowledge maps, making it a powerful tool for learning and research.

**Highlights:** Extensive dictionary and encyclopedia content, Multiple search methods (keyword, pinyin, radical), Visual knowledge maps and historical context, Multimedia resources (images, audio, video, 3D models), Historical 'Today in History' feature, Character evolution and calligraphy display

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 辞海数字版1周会员 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版月卡 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版新会员月卡 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版2月会员 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版会员 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版5折年卡 | $6.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版季卡 | $7.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版6月会员 | $9.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版年卡 | $19.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版2年会员 | $29.99 | one-time |
| 辞海数字版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HD free?

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

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

辞海HD is rated higher. ModernChineseDictionary averages 3.9 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while 辞海HD averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do ModernChineseDictionary or 辞海HD have ads?

Neither ModernChineseDictionary nor 辞海HD shows ads.

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

ModernChineseDictionary ships an update every 6 weeks, and 辞海HD monthly. Most recently, ModernChineseDictionary was updated on September 27, 2026 and 辞海HD on September 13, 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.*