# Dictionary.com vs Chambers Thesaurus

Dictionary.com and Chambers Thesaurus both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of Chambers Thesaurus's written reviews are positive against 26% of Dictionary.com's. Chambers Thesaurus also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). Dictionary.com's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months). On rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Dictionary.com is free to download; Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99 up front. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Chambers Thesaurus asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dictionary.com against 4.9 for Chambers Thesaurus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 11, 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 77% of Chambers Thesaurus's.

Dictionary.com ships an update monthly, Chambers Thesaurus every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictionary.com | Chambers Thesaurus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionarycom-english-words/id308750436/reviews) | **[4.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-thesaurus/id342112144/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **328K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 25.8% of reviews | **76.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#132** | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 18 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:** #132 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 Thesaurus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-thesaurus/id342112144)

This offline English thesaurus offers a vast collection of synonyms and antonyms for writers and language enthusiasts. It features intelligent word entry with spelling suggestions and advanced search capabilities, all accessible without an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Nearly 40,000 indexed words, 400,000 synonyms and antonyms, Intelligent spelling suggestions, Sounds-like and confused word suggestions, Fast pattern-matching search, Cross-reference to dictionaries, Offline access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent tool overall
- 📚 Comprehensive vocabulary
- ✍️ Great for writers
-  crossword Perfect for crosswords
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Incomplete vocabulary (missing common words)
- 🔗 Faulty linking between words
- 🐛 App crashes after updates
- 💻 Not working on newer OS versions
- 🖱️ Faulty interface (search field not immediate)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening after update
- App no longer works on older OS versions
- Search field not immediately available
- Latest update prevents download on iPhone
- Index broken, making it less useful

**Requested features**

- Switch between purchased dictionaries/thesauruses in tabs
- Sell other desktop dictionaries on mobile
- Consistent spacing and text placement across tabs
- Use MacOS built-in support for graphics card acceleration
- Display identifying headings ('Thesaurus'/'Dictionary')


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dictionary.com free?

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

### Is Chambers Thesaurus free?

Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chambers Thesaurus is rated higher. Dictionary.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 328K ratings, while Chambers Thesaurus averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.

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

Dictionary.com shows ads; Chambers Thesaurus does not.

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

Dictionary.com ships an update monthly, and Chambers Thesaurus every 8 months. Most recently, Dictionary.com was updated on September 27, 2026 and Chambers Thesaurus on September 26, 2026.

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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.*