Comparison

Thesaurus App vs Dictionary.com

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

Head to head
About

Thesaurus App

Instantly find synonyms for any word. Explore antonyms, related terms, and user-suggested words. Tap results for new searches and access your search history.

Highlights
  • Synonym retrieval
  • Antonym search
  • Related terms
  • User suggestions
  • Quick new search
  • Search history
Features
Read full description

Retrieve the synonym for every word. If available you will get antonyms, related terms, similar word and user suggestions too. Tap one of the results to start a quick new search for that term. It keeps a history list of your search terms as well. Runs on the Apple Watch and supports the iPad multitasking mode (split-view) on iOS9.

About

Dictionary.com

Access over 2 million trusted definitions and synonyms for English words. Enhance your vocabulary with daily new words, example sentences, and audio pronunciations. This app provides grammar tips and editorial content to deepen your understanding of the English language.

Highlights
  • 2 million+ definitions and synonyms
  • Word of the Day
  • Example sentences
  • Audio pronunciations
  • Grammar tips
  • Search history
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Download the #1 free dictionary app! With more than 2 million trusted definitions and synonyms, this English dictionary and thesaurus app for iPhone is optimized for your mobile device. Improve your English vocabulary, whether you're just starting your learning journey or you're already a word wizard. Install the app for access to definitions and synonyms whenever and wherever you need them — no bulky books necessary. Flip to dark mode to give your eyes a break, or stick to the traditional set-up. In addition to the trusted reference content from Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com, this education app includes: Word of the Day ► Learn a new word each day and expand your vocabulary. Example Sentences ► Browse real-world example sentences to see how words are used. Idioms ► Explore how words can gain new meanings. Rhymes ► Finish every verse. Audio Pronunciations ► Never mispronounce another word. Grammar ► Get grammar tips, word usage, and more to improve your writing. Editorial Articles ► Explore editorial content for features on words, the origins of the English language, and the nuances that make English so complicated and unique. Search History ► Customize your recently searched word list, and never forget the newest words you’ve learned. Dictionary Shuffle ► Think you know ALL the definitions? Prove it with Dictionary Shuffle, which chooses a word at random and brings you to the definition. A-Z Dictionary ► What’s more exciting than ... wait for it … browsing the Dictionary?! We’ve now made it even easier, with the A–Z Dictionary.

Screenshots

Thesaurus App4 screens
Dictionary.com4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dictionary.com at Free against Thesaurus App's $0.99. Dictionary.com also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months). Thesaurus App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment 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

Dictionary.com is free to download; Thesaurus App costs $0.99 up front. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Thesaurus App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dictionary.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Thesaurus App's written reviews are positive against 26% of Dictionary.com's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thesaurus App ships an update every 8 months, Dictionary.com monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Thesaurus App versus Dictionary.com: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThesaurus AppDictionary.com
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating1.0 (4 ratings)4.8 (328K ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.6% of reviews — better25.8% of reviews
Number of ratings4328K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#129 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB35 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperPiet JonasCuriosity Media

Customer experience

Thesaurus App

All ratings4 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral12.5%
Negative58.9%

Dictionary.com

All ratings327,783 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews1,381 reviews
Positive25.8%
Neutral9.2%
Negative65.0%

User reviews

Thesaurus App

From 4 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use for searching words
  • 🚀 Fast and excellent thesaurus
  • 👍 Works well and is well supported
  • 👍 Great for homework and writing
  • 👍 Helpful for vocabulary building

Room to improve

  • 👎 Limited synonyms
  • 👎 No antonyms provided
  • 👎 Few applicable synonyms
  • 👎 Narrow search results
  • 👎 Small text, cannot be enlarged

Dictionary.com

From 328K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Robust dictionary and thesaurus
  • 🤓 Helpful resources like blogs and articles
  • 💡 Useful word games and puzzles
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 🤩 Great for expanding vocabulary

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent search results and missing definitions
  • 💸 Aggressive ads even after paid upgrades
  • 🤯 Frequent crashes and performance issues
  • 🤔 Confusing layout changes and UI issues
  • 🤷‍♀️ Paid features not always working as expected

Bugs and requests

Thesaurus App

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Cannot cancel subscription
  • Never downloaded/appeared on phone
  • Creator impossible to reach
  • Stuck in update limbo
  • Draining battery and internet connection
Show 9 more
  • Print too small, cannot be enlarged
  • Page full of advertisements
  • Many words not in the app
  • No offline use found
  • History not deletable
  • Requires WiFi to use
  • Slow performance and time-outs
  • Does not work offline
  • List of synonyms limited and sometimes wrong

Requested features

13 requests
  • Provide antonyms
  • Include similar terms and related word forms
  • Allow following a chain of related terms
  • Improve synonym suggestions
  • Allow text enlargement
Show 8 more
  • Remove advertisements
  • Include antonym finder
  • Provide explanations of synonym differences
  • Offline functionality
  • Expand word bank
  • Improve performance
  • Allow history deletion
  • Update app to fix issues

Dictionary.com

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Notifications not working as expected
  • Inconsistent behavior when tapping on words
  • Offline dictionary not downloading properly
  • Frequent crashes and freezes on various devices
  • Paid features not unlocking or resetting unexpectedly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dedicated section to display all forms of a word
  • Ability to create and manage custom word lists
  • Improved offline mode with more functionality
  • Better integration with other productivity apps
  • More language support beyond just English

In-app purchases

None

Thesaurus App

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Dictionary.com

One-time9
  • Rhyming Dictionary$1.99
  • Grammar & Tips$1.99
  • Idioms & Phrases$1.99
Show 6 more
  • Example Sentences$2.99
  • Science Dictionary$2.99
  • Encyclopedia$2.99
  • Offline Dictionary$2.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Power Pack$5.99

Questions

Is Thesaurus App free?
Thesaurus App costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dictionary.com free?
Dictionary.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Thesaurus App or Dictionary.com?
Dictionary.com is rated higher. Thesaurus App averages 1.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Dictionary.com averages 4.8 from 328K ratings.
Do Thesaurus App or Dictionary.com have ads?
Dictionary.com shows ads; Thesaurus App does not.
Which is updated more often, Thesaurus App or Dictionary.com?
Thesaurus App ships an update every 8 months, and Dictionary.com monthly. Most recently, Thesaurus App was updated on September 21, 2026 and Dictionary.com on September 25, 2026.

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