# Handy英辞郎 vs Luminous E

The clearest difference is rating: Handy英辞郎 at 4.5 against Luminous E's 4.0. Handy英辞郎 also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Luminous E's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Handy英辞郎 sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Luminous E sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Handy英辞郎 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 24% and 24% positive.

Handy英辞郎 ships an update fortnightly, Luminous E every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handy英辞郎 | Luminous E |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handy/id347277880/reviews)** | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminous-e-j-dictionary/id600480308/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | **23.8% of reviews** | 23.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 1021 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hitoshi Hayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/328995111) | [English Channel, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/597837764) |

## What reviewers say

### Handy英辞郎

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handy/id347277880)

This app provides access to a comprehensive English-Japanese dictionary with up-to-date specialized terms and extensive example sentences. It offers fast, offline search capabilities and integrates with other apps and Safari for quick lookups. Users can purchase the full dictionary data for offline use and sync their bookmarks and notes across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Forward and partial matching search, Offline dictionary access, Safari Action Extension, iCloud sync for bookmarks and notes, Flashcard functionality, Text-to-Speech for English headwords

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Eijiro Ver.169 (2022-03-04) | $8.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.170 (2022-07-08) | $8.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.171 (2022-11-07) | $8.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.172 (2023-07-10) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.173 (2024-01-10) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.178 (2026-03-11) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.179 (2026-07-07) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.177 (2025-09-10) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.176 (2025-03-11) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.175 (2024-11-12) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Eijiro Ver.174 (2024-05-09) | $9.99 | one-time |


### Luminous E

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminous-e-j-dictionary/id600480308)

This comprehensive English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionary app offers extensive vocabulary and grammar explanations. It includes audio pronunciations, search functionalities, and export options, making it a powerful tool for all English learners.

**Highlights:** Extensive vocabulary (approx. 100,000 entries each), Audio pronunciations for words, Incremental search and spelling suggestions, Bookmark with notes, Export definitions and bookmarks, Daily vocabulary notifications, iPad multitasking and Drag & Drop support

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Luminous activation | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handy英辞郎 free?

Handy英辞郎 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Luminous E free?

Luminous E is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Handy英辞郎 or Luminous E?

Handy英辞郎 is rated higher. Handy英辞郎 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Luminous E averages 4.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Handy英辞郎 or Luminous E have ads?

Neither Handy英辞郎 nor Luminous E shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Handy英辞郎 or Luminous E?

Handy英辞郎 ships an update fortnightly, and Luminous E every 5 weeks. Most recently, Handy英辞郎 was updated on October 7, 2026 and Luminous E on September 21, 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.*