Dictionary Universal vs Webster's Writer's Dictionary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dictionary Universal
Access a vast collection of dictionaries on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. This app supports StarDict and Lingvo DSL formats, offering fast searches, morphology, fuzzy matching, and pronunciation. Organize dictionaries by language and save your favorites for quick access.
- StarDict and Lingvo DSL support
- Fast search and fuzzy matching
- Morphology support
- Pronunciation playback
- Dictionary profiles
- Favorites and history
- Clipboard lookup
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Dictionary Universal is iPhone, iPod touch and iPad application for viewing StarDict dictionaries and dictionaries in Lingvo DSL format ¹. Many of these dictionaries are available on the Internet for free ². Features: * Very fast. After dictionary is indexed, minimal time is required to start before you can type text. List of matches appears without delay while you type. * Supports morphology for English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. * Fuzzy search. This functionality will help you find words if they are misspelled or when you don't know how to type word correctly. Just type in the text and hit Search button on the keyboard. * Pronunciation support. * Searching text in currently displayed article. * Profiles group dictionaries, pronunciation and morphology for quick switching. Useful if you work with several languages. * Favorites and Search History. * Ability to lookup word in clipboard when switching to the application. Copy word to clipboard and switch to Dictionary Universal to see translation. * Most complete StarDict format support in the AppStore (including images, synonyms, and various dictionary formats). * Color highlighting for better text readability (when supported by dictionary format). * Arbitrary word lookup. Tap any word in article to lookup it in loaded dictionaries. * Full screen mode support. * Compressed dictionaries and resources support. * Embedded web browser for downloading dictionaries from the Internet. ¹ Lingvo DSL format is a text format with dictionary source code. Dictionary Universal does not support compiled Lingvo dictionaries (LSD format). ² No dictionaries are bundled with the application. You will need StarDict or Lingvo DSL dictionaries to use them with the application.
Webster's Writer's Dictionary
This app offers a unique dictionary experience for both readers and writers. It provides concise definitions for specialized words and also explores the nuances of common words with delightful and imaginative prose. Discover new connections and spark your creativity through classic examples and a serendipitous browsing experience.
- Concise definitions for specialized words
- In-depth exploration of common words
- Imaginative and delightful prose
- Classic examples of usage
- Serendipitous word discovery
- Fast search and browsing
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Sure, it's "just" a dictionary app... As a reader, you can use it like you would normally use a dictionary, to look up specialized or unusual words, and you'll get what you expect: a concise definition to get you back to reading. But... here's the great part. As a writer, you can also use it to look up words you already know. Or think you do! And you should, because this is Mr. Webster's actual and original dictionary. The real deal. The magic is in the definitions for commonplace words. Just take a look at the screenshots! This is good stuff. It will delight and amuse. It may even kindle your imagination. The author's personality shines through in colorful prose that's packed with classic examples of usage. And! Remember paging through a big hardcover dictionary looking for a word only to get sidetracked exploring other words you'd stumble across? Oh-hoh! If I may bend your ear a moment longer... The usual way to do search is to show only results that match what has been typed so far. And normally that's perfect: don't show you anything you don't need to see, right? But if I did it that way, how can you get sidetracked? So I went a different direction. All of the words are in a giant list. You can scroll it or jump to a letter. And as you search, it scrolls to the first match. It's fast and you can find what you want quickly, but it still leaves room for serendipity. Get it and get writing!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Dictionary Universal at every 7 months against Webster's Writer's Dictionary's every 30 months. Dictionary Universal also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Webster's Writer's Dictionary's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $5.99) and chart position (#193 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases 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
Dictionary Universal costs $5.99 and Webster's Writer's Dictionary $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Dictionary Universal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 82 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Dictionary Universal's written reviews are positive against 81% of Webster's Writer's Dictionary's.
Dictionary Universal ships an update every 7 months, Webster's Writer's Dictionary every 30 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dictionary Universal | Webster's Writer's Dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (26 ratings) — better | 4.4 (82 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better | 81.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 26 | 82 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months — better | Every 30 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #193 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dmitry Zhuk | Parks Digital LLC |
Customer experience
Dictionary Universal
Webster's Writer's Dictionary
In-app purchases
Dictionary Universal
No in-app purchases
Webster's Writer's Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dictionary Universal free?
Is Webster's Writer's Dictionary free?
Which has better reviews, Dictionary Universal or Webster's Writer's Dictionary?
Do Dictionary Universal or Webster's Writer's Dictionary have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dictionary Universal or Webster's Writer's Dictionary?
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