# Dictionary.com vs Collins COBUILD Dictionary

The clearest difference is price: Dictionary.com at Free against Collins COBUILD Dictionary's $11.99. Dictionary.com also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Collins COBUILD Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Dictionary.com is free to download; Collins COBUILD Dictionary costs $11.99 up front. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Collins COBUILD Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Dictionary.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of Dictionary.com's written reviews are positive against 59% of Collins COBUILD Dictionary's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dictionary.com ships an update every 3 weeks, Collins COBUILD Dictionary every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictionary.com | Collins COBUILD Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $11.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionarycom-english-words/id308750436/reviews)** | [4.4 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collins-cobuild-dictionary/id389735161/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **328K** | 46 |
| Positive reviews | 25.6% of reviews | **59.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#148** | — |
| Size | 35 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Curiosity Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/332510497) | [MobiSystems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289579214) |

## What reviewers say

### Dictionary.com

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

**Currently charting:** #148 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


### Collins COBUILD Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collins-cobuild-dictionary/id389735161)

This comprehensive English language reference tool offers clear definitions in full sentences, drawing from a vast database of real-world text. Enhance your writing and understanding with detailed word entries, example sentences, and advanced search and learning tools.

**Highlights:** Clear definitions in full sentences, Extensive word database, Thousands of example sentences, Search autocomplete, Keyword lookup, Camera and voice search, Favorites and recent word lists

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 Collins COBUILD Dictionary free?

Collins COBUILD Dictionary costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dictionary.com or Collins COBUILD Dictionary?

Dictionary.com is rated higher. Dictionary.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 328K ratings, while Collins COBUILD Dictionary averages 4.4 from 46 ratings.

### Do Dictionary.com or Collins COBUILD Dictionary have ads?

Dictionary.com shows ads; Collins COBUILD Dictionary does not.

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

Dictionary.com ships an update every 3 weeks, and Collins COBUILD Dictionary every 9 months. Most recently, Dictionary.com was updated on October 15, 2026 and Collins COBUILD Dictionary on October 12, 2026.

---

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