Concise English Dictionary vs WordReference Dictionary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Concise English Dictionary
Explore a vast English dictionary and thesaurus with detailed definitions, pronunciations, and word origins. Access over 591,700 entries and 4.9 million words, with offline capabilities and a user-friendly interface for enhanced language learning.
- Comprehensive dictionary database
- High-quality audio pronunciations
- Extensive IPA pronunciation guides
- In-depth word origins (etymology)
- Detailed definitions and example sentences
- Integrated thesaurus with synonyms
- Offline access
Read full descriptionHide full description
Discover the power of words with Concise English Dictionary & Thesaurus, an exceptional all-in-one reference app designed to elevate your language experience on iOS. Endorsed by Experts: "The app’s clean interface, speed, and size make it a compelling and useful addition to the iPhone or iPod touch." — Ben Boychuk, MACWORLD Key Features: • Comprehensive Database: Access one of the largest English dictionary databases, with up to 591,700 entries and over 4.9 million words, ensuring you find exactly what you need. • High-Quality Audio Pronunciations: Hear words pronounced in American, British, and Australian English, with options for both male and female voices. • Extensive Pronunciation Guides: Includes 134,000 guides in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), with easy-to-use symbol assistance—just tap the guide to understand pronunciation details. • In-Depth Word Origins: Discover the etymologies of words to better understand their histories and how meanings have evolved. • Detailed Definitions and Examples: Get clear, precise definitions along with sample sentences to see words in context, enhancing your writing and speaking skills. • Thesaurus Integration: Expand your vocabulary with word links that provide synonyms and related terms. • Diverse Lexical Entries: Beyond everyday words, find biographical and geographical data, technical and scientific terms, idioms, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners, interjections, abbreviations, contractions, common misspellings, irregular forms, and even Old English words. • User-Friendly Experience: Enjoy fast look-ups and a snappy user interface with smooth-scrolling screens, specifically designed for iOS devices. • Customizable History and Bookmarks: Keep track of your search history and bookmark favorite words for quick reference. • Fun and Educational Word Shake: Shake your device to discover random words and expand your vocabulary in an enjoyable way. • Offline Access: Use the app anytime, anywhere, without needing an internet connection.
WordReference Dictionary
Access a vast collection of dictionaries and translation tools for multiple languages. Engage with a large community forum for language-related questions and answers. This tool is ideal for language learners and professionals needing quick, reliable translations.
- Extensive multilingual dictionaries
- Translation for 15+ language pairs
- Verb conjugators
- Synonym finder
- Large user forum for Q&A
- English definitions
Read full descriptionHide full description
The app of the world's most popular and powerful dictionary translation website. It grants you quick access to our extensive dictionaries and forum discussions. WordReference.com's dictionaries: English to Spanish English to French English to Italian English to German English to Portuguese English to Polish English to Romanian English to Czech English to Greek English to Turkish English to Japanese English to Chinese English to Korean English to Arabic English to Swedish English to Dutch Spanish to French Spanish to Portuguese English definitions Spanish definitions Italian definitions Catalan definitions Conjugators: Spanish conjugator French conjugator Italian conjugator Synonyms: English and Spanish Forums contain over 3 million questions and answers about English and translation. Your questions have already been answered. NOTE: Requires internet access. WordReference is often misspelled as "Word Reference" in searches.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: WordReference Dictionary at Free against Concise English Dictionary's $0.99. WordReference Dictionary also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). Concise English Dictionary's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.8) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, 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
WordReference Dictionary is free to download; Concise English Dictionary costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Concise English Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Concise English Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 60% of WordReference Dictionary's.
Concise English Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, WordReference Dictionary monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Concise English Dictionary | WordReference Dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (30 ratings) — better | 3.8 (35 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.0% of reviews — better | 59.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 30 | 35 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 317 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | JDMI Kft. | WordReference.com, LLC |
Customer experience
Concise English Dictionary
WordReference Dictionary
User reviews
Concise English Dictionary
From 30 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Offline functionality
- 🔍 Comprehensive word coverage
- 📚 Useful for improving vocabulary
Room to improve
- 🐛 Functionality issues (e.g., idioms search not working)
- 🔍 Limited thesaurus features
- 📱 Lacks landscape mode support on iPad
- 💬 Some definitions lack detail
- 🔍 Struggles with obscure or technical words
WordReference Dictionary
From 35 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent translation tool
- 👍 Comprehensive dictionary with examples
- 👍 Helpful for learning languages
- 👍 Reliable and accurate translations
- 👍 Great resource for professional interpreters
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable performance
- 🐛 Slow and unresponsive at times
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience across updates
- 🔋 Requires internet connection, no offline mode
Bugs and requests
Concise English Dictionary
Reported bugs
2 issues- Occasional crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when searching for words
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved thesaurus functionality
- Ability to sync bookmarks across devices
- Predictive text support for easier word lookup
- Integration with system-wide search (e.g., Spotlight)
WordReference Dictionary
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes and freezes on various devices
- Inconsistent performance on cellular vs. Wi-Fi connections
- Search functionality not working as expected
- Inability to delete or manage favorite dictionaries
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for more languages (e.g. Hebrew, Persian, Latin)
- Implement offline dictionary functionality
- Improve search and navigation, including ability to search for phrases
- Add user account and sync features to save favorites and history
- Enhance verb conjugation and grammar tools
In-app purchases
Concise English Dictionary
No in-app purchases
WordReference Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Concise English Dictionary free?
Is WordReference Dictionary free?
Which has better reviews, Concise English Dictionary or WordReference Dictionary?
Do Concise English Dictionary or WordReference Dictionary have ads?
Which is updated more often, Concise English Dictionary or WordReference Dictionary?
Other comparisons











