# 辞海HD vs 字源

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 辞海HD at 100% against 字源's 65%. 字源's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 辞海HD sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and 字源 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

字源 holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 字源 has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of 辞海HD's written reviews are positive against 65% of 字源's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

辞海HD ships an update monthly, 字源 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 辞海HD | 字源 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hd/id1448828039/reviews) | **[4.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1463275633/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **9** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 65.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 121 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1361906246) | [文达 田](https://appshunter.io/developer/1043466860) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### 字源

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1463275633)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 全部字形演变 | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 辞海HD free?

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

### Is 字源 free?

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

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

字源 is rated higher. 辞海HD averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while 字源 averages 4.4 from 9 ratings.

### Do 辞海HD or 字源 have ads?

Neither 辞海HD nor 字源 shows ads.

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

辞海HD ships an update monthly, and 字源 every 2 months. Most recently, 辞海HD was updated on October 17, 2026 and 字源 on October 24, 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.*