Comparison

Dictionary.com vs Acronym Finder

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

Head to head
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.

About

Acronym Finder

Access the world's largest verified database of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms. Quickly find meanings across various categories, even offline. Save and share your findings easily.

Highlights
  • 1 million+ verified acronyms
  • Offline search functionality
  • Category filtering
  • Unlimited bookmarking
  • Sharing capabilities
Features
Read full description

Acronym Finder is the world's largest database of acronyms, abbreviations, and initialisms: 1 million+ acronyms and their meanings, all verified by our editorial team. Quickly find any acronym's meaning with our category filter: Medical Military Government Science Technology Business Texting and Slang and more WHAT YOU GET: * 1 million+ acronyms and their meanings, all verified by our editorial team. * Search offline anytime. No connection or additional downloads required. * Save an unlimited amount of acronyms in your bookmarks for easy reference. * Share acronyms and their meanings via social networks, email, and more. Praise for Acronym Finder "An exponentially expanding dictionary consulted by bureaucrats, translators, doctors, weapons designers and anyone else who needs help decrypting the wide world's daily output of acronyms." - The Wall Street Journal "An astounding array of explanations for things like HRT and NASP." - USA Today Powered by AcronymFinder.com: If you can't find it here, you won't find it anywhere.

Screenshots

Dictionary.com4 screens
Acronym Finder4 screens

Verdict

The call

Dictionary.com and Acronym Finder both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of Acronym Finder's written reviews are positive against 26% of Dictionary.com's. Dictionary.com's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (328K vs 945). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Acronym Finder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dictionary.com against 4.8 for Acronym Finder. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 945, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of Dictionary.com's written reviews are positive against 93% of Acronym Finder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dictionary.com ships an update every 3 weeks, Acronym Finder every 10 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Dictionary.com versus Acronym Finder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDictionary.comAcronym Finder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (328K ratings)4.8 (945 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.6% of reviews92.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings328K — better945
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 10 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#172 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB39 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperCuriosity MediaFarlex, Inc.

Customer experience

Dictionary.com

All ratings327,801 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews1,392 reviews
Positive25.6%
Neutral9.3%
Negative65.1%

Acronym Finder

All ratings919 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews94 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.3%

User reviews

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

Acronym Finder

From 945 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Comprehensive and detailed
  • 🚀 Extremely useful and efficient
  • 💡 Helpful for understanding acronyms in various domains
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 👍 Accurate and reliable

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
  • 💡 Could use more customization options (e.g., saved acronyms, filtering by category)
  • 🔍 Lacking a 'contact us' feature for user support

Bugs and requests

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

Acronym Finder

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App getting stuck on splash screen for some users
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to save custom acronyms
  • Implement filtering and sorting options for acronyms
  • Improve user interface and visual design

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
1 purchases

Acronym Finder

One-time1
  • Ad-free upgrade$4.99

Questions

Is Dictionary.com free?
Dictionary.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Acronym Finder free?
Acronym Finder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dictionary.com or Acronym Finder?
Acronym Finder is rated higher. Dictionary.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 328K ratings, while Acronym Finder averages 4.8 from 945 ratings.
Do Dictionary.com or Acronym Finder have ads?
Both Dictionary.com and Acronym Finder show ads.
Which is updated more often, Dictionary.com or Acronym Finder?
Dictionary.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and Acronym Finder every 10 months. Most recently, Dictionary.com was updated on November 1, 2026 and Acronym Finder on November 1, 2026.

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