# Dictionary.com vs Chambers Dictionary

Dictionary.com and Chambers Dictionary both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Chambers Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 26% of Dictionary.com's. Chambers Dictionary also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). Dictionary.com's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99) and ratings volume (328K vs 13). On rating, chart position, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Dictionary.com is free to download; Chambers Dictionary costs $9.99 up front. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Chambers Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dictionary.com against 4.8 for Chambers Dictionary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 13, 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 79% of Chambers Dictionary's.

Dictionary.com ships an update monthly, Chambers Dictionary every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictionary.com | Chambers Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionarycom-english-words/id308750436/reviews) | [4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-dictionary/id314269183/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **328K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 25.8% of reviews | **78.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#126** | #198 |
| Size | 35 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Curiosity Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/332510497) | [Antony Lewis](https://appshunter.io/developer/289981687) |

## What reviewers say

### Dictionary.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionarycom-english-words/id308750436)

**Currently charting:** #126 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rhyming Dictionary | $1.99 | one-time |
| Grammar & Tips | $1.99 | one-time |
| Idioms & Phrases | $1.99 | one-time |
| Example Sentences | $2.99 | one-time |
| Science Dictionary | $2.99 | one-time |
| Encyclopedia | $2.99 | one-time |
| Offline Dictionary | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Power Pack | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Chambers Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-dictionary/id314269183)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

This comprehensive English dictionary offers extensive coverage of words, including new terms from science and culture. It features intelligent search with spelling suggestions, pattern matching, and filtering, plus standard tools like bookmarks and anagrams. An offline reference for word enthusiasts and crossword solvers.

**Highlights:** Extensive word coverage, Latest new words, Intelligent spelling suggestions, Advanced search with pattern matching, Filter search results by word type, Offline functionality, Anagrams

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dictionary.com free?

Dictionary.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chambers Dictionary free?

Chambers Dictionary costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dictionary.com or Chambers Dictionary?

Dictionary.com and Chambers Dictionary are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 328K and 13 ratings respectively.

### Do Dictionary.com or Chambers Dictionary have ads?

Dictionary.com shows ads; Chambers Dictionary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Dictionary.com or Chambers Dictionary?

Dictionary.com ships an update monthly, and Chambers Dictionary every 4 months. Most recently, Dictionary.com was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chambers Dictionary on September 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Dictionary.com or Chambers Dictionary?

Dictionary.com currently peaks at #126 in the App Store charts, and Chambers Dictionary at #198. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*