# Chambers Dictionary vs Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus

The clearest difference is price: Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus at Free against Chambers Dictionary's $9.99. Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus also leads on ratings volume (29K vs 18) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). Chambers Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (79% vs 51%). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is free to download; Chambers Dictionary costs $9.99 up front. Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chambers Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Chambers Dictionary against 4.6 for Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus has 29K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Chambers Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 51% of Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus's.

Chambers Dictionary ships an update every 4 months, Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chambers Dictionary | Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-dictionary/id314269183/reviews) | **[4.6 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oxford-dictionary-and-thesaurus/id978674211/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **29K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.8% of reviews** | 50.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#72** |
| Size | 58 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Antony Lewis](https://appshunter.io/developer/289981687) | [MobiSystems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289579214) |

## What reviewers say

### Chambers Dictionary

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

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


### Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oxford-dictionary-and-thesaurus/id978674211)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Free · Reference, #78 Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

Access 18 dictionaries and over a million words, phrases, and definitions. Translate between English and major languages, explore etymology, and find synonyms and antonyms. This trusted language reference is ideal for students, professionals, and language learners.

**Highlights:** 18 dictionaries including English, Spanish, French, German, Over 1 million words, phrases, and definitions, Translations between English and major languages, Word origins and etymology, English synonyms and antonyms, Offline access with Premium, Audio pronunciation with Premium

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription ODE | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Oxford Dictionary Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Subscription ODE | $19.99 | per year |
| Oxford Dictionary Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Oxford Dictionary of English | $4.99 | one-time |
| Oxford Dictionary of English | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Reliable and simple to use
- 👍 Comprehensive and best for all English, especially rare and aged language
- 👍 Very useful for learning new words
- 👍 Excellent reference app
- 👍 Helps with homework or even if you forgot how to spell write or don't know the meaning of a word

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy, way too many ads
- 🔒 Annoying popup ads makes it unusable
- 🔒 Ads stuck in, despite payment
- 🐛 Never connect the server
- 🐛 Stopped working

**Reported bugs**

- Favorites folder disappearing after device restart
- Inconsistent behavior when looking up words
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Inability to restore premium purchases on new devices

**Requested features**

- Improved formatting and typography for definitions
- Better organization of features and information
- More advanced search and filtering options
- Ability to sync favorites across devices
- More challenging and interesting 'word of the day' selections


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chambers Dictionary free?

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

### Is Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus free?

Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chambers Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus?

Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is rated higher. Chambers Dictionary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus averages 4.6 from 29K ratings.

### Do Chambers Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus have ads?

Neither Chambers Dictionary nor Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chambers Dictionary or Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus?

Chambers Dictionary ships an update every 4 months, and Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus monthly. Most recently, Chambers Dictionary was updated on November 10, 2026 and Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus on November 11, 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.*