Comparison

Concise English Dictionary vs WordReference Dictionary

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Extensive multilingual dictionaries
  • Translation for 15+ language pairs
  • Verb conjugators
  • Synonym finder
  • Large user forum for Q&A
  • English definitions
Features
Read 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

Concise English Dictionary4 screens
WordReference Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Concise English Dictionary versus WordReference Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConcise English DictionaryWordReference Dictionary
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (30 ratings) — better3.8 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews — better59.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3035 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size317 MB6 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperJDMI Kft.WordReference.com, LLC

Customer experience

Concise English Dictionary

All ratings30 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews200 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral5.5%
Negative9.5%

WordReference Dictionary

All ratings35 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews383 reviews
Positive59.8%
Neutral11.2%
Negative29.0%

User reviews

Concise English Dictionary

From 30 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Concise English Dictionary

No in-app purchases

None

WordReference Dictionary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Concise English Dictionary free?
Concise English Dictionary costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is WordReference Dictionary free?
WordReference Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Concise English Dictionary or WordReference Dictionary?
Concise English Dictionary is rated higher. Concise English Dictionary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while WordReference Dictionary averages 3.8 from 35 ratings.
Do Concise English Dictionary or WordReference Dictionary have ads?
WordReference Dictionary shows ads; Concise English Dictionary does not.
Which is updated more often, Concise English Dictionary or WordReference Dictionary?
Concise English Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, and WordReference Dictionary monthly. Most recently, Concise English Dictionary was updated on October 31, 2026 and WordReference Dictionary on November 1, 2026.

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