# Pleco Chinese Dictionary vs Cantonese Dictionary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cantonese Dictionary at none against Pleco Chinese Dictionary's 10. Cantonese Dictionary also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Pleco Chinese Dictionary's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pleco Chinese Dictionary sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Cantonese Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pleco Chinese Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pleco Chinese Dictionary has 1.9K ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Pleco Chinese Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 56% of Cantonese Dictionary's.

Pleco Chinese Dictionary ships an update every 3 months, Cantonese Dictionary every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pleco Chinese Dictionary | Cantonese Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-dictionary/id341922306/reviews)** | [4.3 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantonese-dictionary/id542912791/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **85.8% of reviews** | 55.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#165** | — |
| Size | 114 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +9 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pleco Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/330462895) | [Chun Kai Lau](https://appshunter.io/developer/777529458) |

## What reviewers say

### Pleco Chinese Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-dictionary/id341922306)

**Currently charting:** #165 Top Grossing · Reference, #176 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

This app is a comprehensive tool for learning Chinese, offering integrated dictionaries, document reading, and flashcard features. It supports various input methods including handwriting and OCR, with extensive dictionary options and pronunciation guides.

**Highlights:** Integrated dictionaries with over 110,000 entries, Full-screen handwriting input, Live OCR for word lookup, Document reader for various file types, Flashcard system with SRS, Stroke order diagrams, Mandarin and Cantonese audio

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Integrate Purchases | Free | one-time |
| Mandarin Audio (male) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Stroke Order Diagrams | $4.99 | one-time |
| Document Reader | $9.99 | one-time |
| Enhanced Handwriting | $9.99 | one-time |
| Flashcard System | $9.99 | one-time |
| Optical Character Recognizer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Basic Bundle | $29.99 | one-time |
| A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese | $39.99 | one-time |
| Professional Bundle | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Extremely helpful and useful
- 👍 Comprehensive and detailed dictionary
- 🔍 Excellent search and lookup features
- 💡 Customizable and personalized experience
- 🎓 Essential tool for learning Chinese

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive add-ons and bundles
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and freezing issues
- 🔍 Cluttered interface and navigation
- 🌐 Lack of cloud sync and backup

**Reported bugs**

- Handwriting recognition not always accurate
- Inconsistent performance on older devices
- Occasional issues with iCloud sync and backup

**Requested features**

- Improved flashcard management and organization
- More language options beyond Mandarin and Cantonese
- Better integration with other learning apps and platforms
- Ability to filter and prioritize common/essential vocabulary


### Cantonese Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cantonese-dictionary/id542912791)

This app assists learners in understanding Cantonese pronunciation. It allows users to search for characters by pronunciation or vice versa, supports both traditional and simplified Chinese, and offers audio playback for pronunciations. Bookmarking and copying results are also available features.

**Highlights:** Search pronunciation by character, Search character by pronunciation, Supports traditional and simplified Chinese, Listen to pronunciation audio, Bookmark search results, Copy results to clipboard

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pleco Chinese Dictionary free?

Pleco Chinese Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cantonese Dictionary free?

Cantonese Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pleco Chinese Dictionary or Cantonese Dictionary?

Pleco Chinese Dictionary is rated higher. Pleco Chinese Dictionary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Cantonese Dictionary averages 4.3 from 36 ratings.

### Do Pleco Chinese Dictionary or Cantonese Dictionary have ads?

Cantonese Dictionary shows ads; Pleco Chinese Dictionary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pleco Chinese Dictionary or Cantonese Dictionary?

Pleco Chinese Dictionary ships an update every 3 months, and Cantonese Dictionary every 2 months. Most recently, Pleco Chinese Dictionary was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cantonese Dictionary on November 1, 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.*