# Pleco Chinese Dictionary vs Puzzle Sidekick

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Puzzle Sidekick at none against Pleco Chinese Dictionary's 10. Puzzle Sidekick also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Pleco Chinese Dictionary's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 116). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Puzzle Sidekick holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pleco Chinese Dictionary has 1.9K ratings behind it against 116, 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 100% of Puzzle Sidekick's.

Pleco Chinese Dictionary ships an update every 3 months, Puzzle Sidekick every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pleco Chinese Dictionary | Puzzle Sidekick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pleco-chinese-dictionary/id341922306/reviews) | **[4.9 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-sidekick/id678644111/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 116 |
| Positive reviews | 85.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#178** | — |
| Size | 114 MB | 8 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) | [Netninja.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/374959433) |

## What reviewers say

### Pleco Chinese Dictionary

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

**Currently charting:** #178 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


### Puzzle Sidekick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-sidekick/id678644111)

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools, reference materials, and links for puzzle enthusiasts. It includes various decoders, timers, and extensive lists of codes, ciphers, and common data for solving complex puzzles and games.

**Highlights:** Codebreaking tools (ROT-N, Vigenere, Substitution), Character encoding references (Morse, Semaphore, Braille), Word pattern matching dictionary, Countdown timer prediction, Color mixer and password generator, Extensive reference lists (constants, periodic table, zodiac)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Puzzle Sidekick free?

Puzzle Sidekick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pleco Chinese Dictionary or Puzzle Sidekick?

Puzzle Sidekick is rated higher. Pleco Chinese Dictionary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Puzzle Sidekick averages 4.9 from 116 ratings.

### Do Pleco Chinese Dictionary or Puzzle Sidekick have ads?

Neither Pleco Chinese Dictionary nor Puzzle Sidekick shows ads.

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

Pleco Chinese Dictionary ships an update every 3 months, and Puzzle Sidekick every 20 months. Most recently, Pleco Chinese Dictionary was updated on November 1, 2026 and Puzzle Sidekick on October 21, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*