Comparison

DDSA Tamil Lexicon vs Tamilcube Dictionary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DDSA Tamil Lexicon

This app provides a searchable digital version of a comprehensive Tamil lexicon. It allows for both headword and full-text searches, with options for wildcard matching and boolean operators. Users can access definitions online or offline.

Highlights
  • Searchable Tamil lexicon
  • Online and offline access
  • Headword and full-text search
  • Wildcard and boolean search options
  • Search suggestions
  • Full definition view
Features
Read full description

The Tamil lexicon app is a product of the Digital South Asia Library program (https://dsal.uchicago.edu) at the University of Chicago. The app offers a searchable version of the University of Madras's "Tamil lexicon," [Madras], University of Madras, 1924-1936. The Tamil lexicon app can be used both online and offline. The online version interacts with a database that runs remotely on a server at the University of Chicago. The offline version uses a database that is created on the device upon first download. By default, the app operates in the online mode. The app allows users to conduct both headword and fulltext queries. The default mode for this app is to search headwords. To search for a headword, touch the search box at the top (magnifying glass icon) to expose the on-screen keyboard and begin searching. Headwords can be entered in Tamil, accented Latin characters, and unaccented Latin characters. After entering three characters in the search box, a scrollable list of search suggestions will pop up. Touch the word to search for and it will automatically fill in the search field. Or ignore suggestions and enter the search term completely. To execute the search, touch the return button on the keyboard. By default, headword searches expand off the end of the search term. In other words, searching for "mann" will generate results for headwords that begin with "mann" and have any number of trailing characters, like "maññai", "maṇṇavar", etc. To expand the front of a query, users can enter the "%" character at the beginning of search term. For example, "%mann" will find "appiramaṇṇiyam", "ulaka-maṉṉavaṉ", etc. The wildcard character at the front of a word also expands search suggestions. For fulltext searching, select the "Fulltext" search scope button and then enter the search term in the search box at the top. Fulltext searching supports multiword searching. For example, the search "ceremonial bath" returns 30 results where "ceremonial" and "bath" can be found in the same definition. Multiword searches can be executed with the boolean operators "NOT" and "OR" as well. The search "ceremonial OR bath" returns 317 fulltext results; "ceremonial NOT bath" returns 91 fulltext results. To conduct substring matching, select an option from the "Search Options" sub-menu at the bottom right of the screen enter a string in the search field, and touch return. The default for all searching is "Words beginning with." But for example, selecting "Words ending with," "Search all text," and then entering "tan" as the search string will find 1759 examples of words that end in "tan." Search results come first in a numbered list that displays the Tamil headword, the accented latin transliteration of the headword, and a chunk of the definition. To see a full definition, touch the headword. In online mode, the full result page also has a page number link that the user can click to get the full page context of the definition. Link arrows at the top of the full page allow the user to click to previous and next pages in the dictionary. To select either online or offline mode, simply toggle the selector at the top of the screen. Note that on start up, the app will test to see whether the device has an internet connection and the remote server is available. Again, the app operates in online mode by default. The user should select the appropriate mode before conducting a search.

About

Tamilcube Dictionary

Features
Read full description

Tamilcube Dictionary is the most comprehensive English to Tamil dictionary app available, with 160,000+ entries covering classical and modern Tamil. FEATURES • Search in English or Tamil script — the app auto-detects the language • Word of the Day — a new Tamil word every day at midnight SGT • Save words to Favourites for offline access • Share any word as a beautiful image card • Adjustable Tamil script size — small, medium, or large • Light and dark mode WHY TAMILCUBE Tamilcube is Singapore's leading Tamil education and cultural services company, trusted by Tamil speakers worldwide for over 15 years. This dictionary is built on the same 150,000+ word database that powers dictionary.tamilcube.com. LANGUAGE All Tamil entries are displayed in authentic Tamil script (தமிழ்) using the Noto Sans Tamil typeface, ensuring correct rendering on every device. PRIVACY The app does not require an account. Favourites and recent searches are stored locally on your device only.

Screenshots

DDSA Tamil Lexicon3 screens
Tamilcube Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tamilcube Dictionary at weekly against DDSA Tamil Lexicon's every 5 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DDSA Tamil Lexicon ships an update every 5 months, Tamilcube Dictionary weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
DDSA Tamil Lexicon versus Tamilcube Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDDSA Tamil LexiconTamilcube Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharles CooneyAlagupillai Thiruvupillai

In-app purchases

None

DDSA Tamil Lexicon

No in-app purchases

None

Tamilcube Dictionary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DDSA Tamil Lexicon free?
DDSA Tamil Lexicon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tamilcube Dictionary free?
Tamilcube Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do DDSA Tamil Lexicon or Tamilcube Dictionary have ads?
Neither DDSA Tamil Lexicon nor Tamilcube Dictionary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DDSA Tamil Lexicon or Tamilcube Dictionary?
DDSA Tamil Lexicon ships an update every 5 months, and Tamilcube Dictionary weekly. Most recently, DDSA Tamil Lexicon was updated on October 29, 2026 and Tamilcube Dictionary on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons