Comparison

Dictionary.com vs Words

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

Words

Quickly find word definitions, examples, and origins with a simple swipe. Save and organize words for easy recall, and bookmark those you frequently forget. A share extension allows for seamless saving of words you encounter.

Highlights
  • Word definition search
  • Example sentences
  • Word origin information
  • Save and organize words
  • Bookmark favorite words
  • Share extension for saving
Read full description

Search for word definitions with a swipe! Words will take care of the following: - Giving you an example & the origin of the word - Saving the word for recollection - Organizing the word for easier finding - Bookmarking a word, for those specific words you always forget Words has a share extension to allow you to define a word, and we’ll save it for you so you can look back on it whenever you want.

Screenshots

Dictionary.com4 screens
Words4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Words at none against Dictionary.com's 9. Words also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Dictionary.com's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (328K vs 3). On price 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. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Words asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dictionary.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of Dictionary.com's written reviews are positive against 50% of Words's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dictionary.com ships an update every 3 weeks, Words every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Dictionary.com versus Words: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDictionary.comWords
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (328K ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews25.7% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings328K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#160 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB3 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperCuriosity MediaSahil Gangele

Customer experience

Dictionary.com

All ratings327,801 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews1,391 reviews
Positive25.7%
Neutral9.3%
Negative65.1%

Words

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Words

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Words

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dictionary.com free?
Dictionary.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Words free?
Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dictionary.com or Words?
Dictionary.com is rated higher. Dictionary.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 328K ratings, while Words averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Dictionary.com or Words have ads?
Dictionary.com shows ads; Words does not.
Which is updated more often, Dictionary.com or Words?
Dictionary.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and Words every 3 days. Most recently, Dictionary.com was updated on October 25, 2026 and Words on October 10, 2026.

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