Comparison

Dictionary Linguee vs WordReference Dictionary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dictionary Linguee

Access reliable translations for multiple languages, including French, Spanish, and German, with this comprehensive dictionary app. It offers fast, offline access to a vast database compiled by lexicographers and includes example sentences and audio pronunciations.

Highlights
  • Translations in French, Spanish, German, and more
  • Compiled by over 400 lexicographers
  • Fast translations with quick search
  • Offline dictionary access
  • Integrated translation search engine
  • Example sentences and audio pronunciation
  • 3D Touch integration for quick previews
Features
Read full description

The dictionary Linguee is used by millions of people. - Translations in French, Spanish, German and more - Reliable: Created by over 400 lexicographers - Fast: Translations after entering just the first few letters - The dictionary is free and also available offline Linguee is a new kind of dictionary app for French-English, Spanish-English and other language pairs. You will find reliable translations in the shortest time, even when you're offline. SPANISH-ENGLISH AND OTHER LANGUAGES Dictionary for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and many more. All dictionaries are bidirectional - you search simultaneously in Spanish-English and English-Spanish. EDITORIAL DICTIONARY Our editorial dictionary was compiled by over 200 lexicographers in order to be capable of providing answers to the most difficult of queries. TRANSLATION SEARCH Additionally, with the help of the integrated translation search engine, you have access to over one billion translations from the Internet. QUICK SEARCH Translations of words and phrases are shown after entering just the first few letters. Even inadvertent typing errors are intelligently corrected. OFFLINE MODE The editorial dictionaries can be downloaded for free and are subsequently available for use even when you're offline. This allows you, for example, to look up terms while you are abroad and have no data connection. EXAMPLE SENTENCES You will find examples sentences containing all the words you search for. PRONUNCIATION All of the dictionary entries have been recorded audibly by professional speakers. 3D TOUCH With a light press (Peek) on autocomplete entries you will get a preview of the corresponding article. You can also Peek at a word will show you translations for the relevant words without leaving the article. Quick actions: You can open previous searches straight from the home screen simply by pressing the Linguee icon lightly.

About

WordReference Dictionary

Access a comprehensive suite of dictionaries and translation tools for multiple languages. Explore conjugations, synonyms, and a vast forum with millions of answered questions. This app provides quick access to extensive language resources.

Highlights
  • Extensive multilingual dictionaries
  • Verb conjugators
  • Synonym finder
  • Language forums
  • English definitions
  • Spanish definitions
Features
Read full description

The app of the world's most popular and powerful dictionary translation website. It grants you quick access to our extensive dictionaries and forum discussions. WordReference.com's dictionaries: English to Spanish English to French English to Italian English to German English to Portuguese English to Polish English to Romanian English to Czech English to Greek English to Turkish English to Japanese English to Chinese English to Korean English to Arabic English to Swedish English to Dutch Spanish to French Spanish to Portuguese English definitions Spanish definitions Italian definitions Catalan definitions Conjugators: Spanish conjugator French conjugator Italian conjugator Synonyms: English and Spanish Forums contain over 3 million questions and answers about English and translation. Your questions have already been answered. NOTE: Requires internet access. WordReference is often misspelled as "Word Reference" in searches.

Screenshots

Dictionary Linguee4 screens
WordReference Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Dictionary Linguee at 4.8 against WordReference Dictionary's 3.8. Dictionary Linguee also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (11K vs 27). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dictionary Linguee holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dictionary Linguee has 11K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Dictionary Linguee's written reviews are positive against 60% of WordReference Dictionary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dictionary Linguee ships an update every 2 months, WordReference Dictionary every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Dictionary Linguee versus WordReference Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDictionary LingueeWordReference Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (11K ratings) — better3.8 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews76.1% of reviews — better60.2% of reviews
Number of ratings11K — better27
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB8 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperDeepL SEWordReference.com, LLC

Customer experience

Dictionary Linguee

All ratings11,093 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews519 reviews
Positive76.1%
Neutral6.4%
Negative17.5%

WordReference Dictionary

All ratings27 ratings
Positive70.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative29.6%
Written reviews379 reviews
Positive60.2%
Neutral11.1%
Negative28.8%

User reviews

Dictionary Linguee

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple, easy to use, and effective
  • 👍 Great app for looking up words and seeing examples
  • 👍 Excellent resource for finding example uses of new words
  • 👍 Superb app for looking up vocabulary and comparing meanings
  • 👍 Helpful for language learning, especially for verbs and idioms

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Freezes and crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Slow and laggy, especially when switching between apps
  • 🔒 Requires local network access for no clear reason
  • 🐛 Search field issues (e.g. hiding first letter, re-populating previous search)
  • 🐛 Offline dictionaries don't always work as expected

WordReference Dictionary

From 27 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent translation tool
  • 👍 Comprehensive dictionary with examples
  • 👍 Helpful for learning languages
  • 👍 Reliable and accurate translations
  • 👍 Great resource for professional interpreters

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable performance
  • 🐛 Slow and unresponsive at times
  • 🐛 Inconsistent user experience across updates
  • 🔋 Requires internet connection, no offline mode

Bugs and requests

Dictionary Linguee

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and crashes frequently
  • Search field issues (hiding first letter, re-populating previous search)
  • Offline dictionaries don't always work as expected
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add verb conjugations and IPA pronunciations
  • Implement a 'save/favorite words' feature
  • Improve stability and performance, especially on iOS
  • Provide more transparency around the local network access requirement

WordReference Dictionary

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes and freezes on various devices
  • Inconsistent performance on cellular vs. Wi-Fi connections
  • Search functionality not working as expected
  • Inability to delete or manage favorite dictionaries

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more languages (e.g. Hebrew, Persian, Latin)
  • Implement offline dictionary functionality
  • Improve search and navigation, including ability to search for phrases
  • Add user account and sync features to save favorites and history
  • Enhance verb conjugation and grammar tools

In-app purchases

None

Dictionary Linguee

No in-app purchases

None

WordReference Dictionary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dictionary Linguee free?
Dictionary Linguee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WordReference Dictionary free?
WordReference Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dictionary Linguee or WordReference Dictionary?
Dictionary Linguee is rated higher. Dictionary Linguee averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while WordReference Dictionary averages 3.8 from 27 ratings.
Do Dictionary Linguee or WordReference Dictionary have ads?
WordReference Dictionary shows ads; Dictionary Linguee does not.
Which is updated more often, Dictionary Linguee or WordReference Dictionary?
Dictionary Linguee ships an update every 2 months, and WordReference Dictionary every 6 weeks. Most recently, Dictionary Linguee was updated on September 25, 2026 and WordReference Dictionary on September 25, 2026.

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