Dictionary.com vs Urban Dictionary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 2 million+ definitions and synonyms
- Word of the Day
- Example sentences
- Audio pronunciations
- Grammar tips
- Search history
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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.
Urban Dictionary
Access a vast collection of user-submitted definitions for slang and non-slang words. Search, vote on definitions, and discover new words with daily updates. Share interesting terms easily with friends.
- Unlimited free searches
- Slang and non-slang definitions
- Vote on definitions
- Share definitions
- Today's Urban Word of the Day
- Autocomplete suggestions
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Urban Dictionary is the people-powered dictionary of slang, culture, and how people really talk. Explore definitions written and voted on by the community: • Discover the Urban Word of the Day • Search any word, phrase, or saying • Get suggestions while you type • Find something unexpected with Random • Tap linked terms to keep exploring • Save your favorite definitions • Hear words pronounced aloud • Vote on definitions • Share definitions with friends • Choose light or dark mode Language changes every day. Urban Dictionary helps you keep up—and define your world.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Urban Dictionary at none against Dictionary.com's 9. Urban Dictionary also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (39% vs 26%). Dictionary.com's advantage is ratings volume (328K vs 3.5K) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Dictionary.com sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Urban Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dictionary.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary.com has 328K ratings behind it against 3.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 26% of Dictionary.com's written reviews are positive against 39% of Urban 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, Urban Dictionary every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dictionary.com | Urban Dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (328K ratings) — better | 4.5 (3.5K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 25.7% of reviews | 39.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 328K — better | 3.5K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #136 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Curiosity Media | Urban Dictionary |
Customer experience
Dictionary.com
Urban Dictionary
User reviews
Dictionary.com
From 328K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Urban Dictionary
From 3.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Entertaining and informative
- 👍 Useful for understanding slang and new terminology
- 🤓 Provides creative and humorous definitions
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes or stops working
- 🙄 Politically biased content
- 🤢 Inappropriate or vulgar content
- 🤔 Outdated or no longer supported
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
Urban Dictionary
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes on newer iOS versions
- Search bar issues on certain devices
- Notification feature not working
Requested features
4 requests- Add ability to submit own definitions
- Implement dark mode option
- Categorize content for better browsing
- Add push notifications for word of the day
In-app purchases
Dictionary.com
- Rhyming Dictionary$1.99
- Grammar & Tips$1.99
- Idioms & Phrases$1.99
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- Example Sentences$2.99
- Science Dictionary$2.99
- Encyclopedia$2.99
- Offline Dictionary$2.99
- Remove Ads$2.99
- Power Pack$5.99
Urban Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dictionary.com free?
Is Urban Dictionary free?
Which has better reviews, Dictionary.com or Urban Dictionary?
Do Dictionary.com or Urban Dictionary have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dictionary.com or Urban Dictionary?
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