MDict vs iSutra
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MDict
This open platform dictionary app supports multiple languages and allows users to download various pre-built dictionary data. It offers fast lookups, rich text content, pronunciation, search history, and in-page search capabilities.
- Multi-language support
- Downloadable dictionary data
- Fast lookup and loading
- Rich text content
- Pronunciation support
- Favorites and search history
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MDict is a dictionary that support multi-language. It dosen't bundle with dictionary data. But it's a open platform that you can download many pre-built dictionary datas by others. Key features include: 1. Very fast lookup speed and dictionary loading speed. You can switch dictionary instantly. 2. Support rich text formated content 3. Pronunciation support. Currently with English, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese.(Chinese/Japanese pronunciation support are limited) 4. Favorites and Search history 5. Supports in page search
iSutra
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iSutra is an offline sutra reading and practice app. Open a Daily Sutra, compare Chinese and English with optional vernacular notes and pinyin, follow recitation highlighting, trace a line by hand, and dedicate the day. No account, no ads, no tracking. Texts are built in and work without a network. For study and cultural learning only. This is not just a source-text browser. The category is crowded. iSutra puts the difference in bilingual reading, highlighted recitation, woodfish counting, handwritten tracing, daily practice, and a Daily Sutra that reaches you through widgets, Lock Screen, Control Center, and voice shortcuts. It is made for education and cultural study. It does not tell fortunes. Built-in library Browse Prajna, Lotus, Avatamsaka, Pure Land, Ksitigarbha, esoteric mantras, Chan, Forty-two Chapters, and Eight Awakenings. Long works open by section: Diamond in thirty-two parts and Ksitigarbha in thirteen chapters, still offline. Also included: Heart Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, Universal Gate, Platform Sutra, Samantabhadra vows, Medicine Buddha vows, and mantra excerpts. It does not claim to be the whole canon. 1. Daily Sutra: today's text, continue reading, famous lines, local reminders, and shortcuts to recitation, chanting, copy-sutra, practice, study, random, and keyword hunt. A widget can switch it. 2. Bilingual close reading: bilingual, Chinese only, or English only. Toggle vernacular, English, and pinyin. Interface in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and English. Type size, vertical layout, section navigation, notes, history, and immersive mode. 3. Recitation studio: line highlighting, adjustable pace and voice, continuous play, background audio, lock-screen remote, looping, and a Live Activity where allowed. 4. Woodfish chanting: today, lifetime, and streak counts. Targets such as 27, 54, 108, or 1080. Wood, deep, bright, soft, and qing sounds. Progress on the Daily Chant widget and Lock Screen. 5. Copy-sutra tracing: on iPhone and iPad, trace a line on paper-like canvas. Switch ink, thickness, and pen. Undo a stroke. Guide text can be tracing, faint, or hidden. Save a line to Photos or export the whole text. 6. Daily practice: separate morning and evening lists, check items, mark the day complete, and read or write a dedication. 7. Chant study: fade, fill-in, check, and quiz. Mark familiar, learned, or mastered. Keyword Hunt asks you to recall a line from a character. 8. Browse: find a text by category, theme, or translator. Diamond and Ksitigarbha open a volume catalog first. Layout can be list, grid, or cards. 9. Favorites: star a text, build lists, read in sequence, or study in a batch. Optional cloud sync is available. 10. Search: Chinese or English in titles, translators, and lines. System search, deep links, and Home Screen quick actions open Daily Sutra, recitation, chant, copy-sutra, practice, and more. 11. Widgets and system: Daily Sutra, famous lines, favorites, study progress, and Daily Chant on Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy. Live Activities for reading and chanting. Control Center can hold Daily Sutra, recitation, chant, practice, and more. 12. Dharma cards: turn a line into a card, pick a style, save to Photos, or share. 13. Look and data: accents and alternate icons. Settings cover language, pinyin, vertical text, Live Activities, voice, pace, and notifications. Data stays on device by default. Optional system cloud sync can update favorites, lists, practice, chant counts, progress, history, and notes. 14. Privacy: no account, no ads, no third-party analytics. Core reading is offline and is not uploaded. Source texts are public-domain Chinese translations. Some English is public-domain or study wording. Vernacular notes are for learning, not religious instruction or academic authority. Read one sutra into one day. Welcome to iSutra.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: MDict at Free against iSutra's $0.99. MDict also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On ads and in-app purchases 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
MDict is free to download; iSutra costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | MDict | iSutra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (32 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 32 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 文伟 张 | 天从 何 |
Bugs and requests
MDict
Reported bugs
34 issues- Appearance settings reset on macOS
- UI misalignment in appearance settings
- Full-text search missing on mobile
- Daylight mode not working at night
- Cannot add custom fonts to iOS version
Show 29 moreShow fewer
- App crashes frequently on Mac
- App crashes on launch (older reviews)
- Audio not working after iOS updates
- Clipboard not working in floating mode
- Search bar behavior requires back button
- Auto-lookup clipboard not working in floating window
- Group function invalid format on iPhone
- Sharing section not working
- MDict floating window blank when looking up words in Instapaper
- Cannot search from right sidebar on iPad
- Sound not working
- Sound not working after upgrading to new version on iOS 9.1
- Multi-dictionaries lookup not working
- Auto lookup clipboard not working in floating window
- Group function does not work on iPhone
- Sharing section not working
- MDict's pop out window is always blank and cannot provide any definition when looking up words in Instapaper
- Cannot search a word from right sidebar on iPad
- Sound not working
- Sound wasn't work after upgrading to new version on IOS 9.1
- Multi-dictionaries lookup cannot work
- Audio problems solved (older review, implies it was an issue)
- Cannot search clipboard content on iOS 5
- Dictionary sorting gets messed up after upgrades
- Shows 'pirated' status despite payment
- Clicking on dictionary name triggers unwanted search
- Russian Wikipedia search not recognizing Russian input
- Font corruption when loading some dictionaries
- App crashes when using notification bar shortcut
Requested features
22 requests- Full-text search on mobile
- Custom font support for dictionary entries
- Add fonts to iOS version
- Dark mode
- Add collection folders
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Login and sync function
- Fix clipboard auto-lookup in floating window
- Fix search bar behavior
- Support more extensions (.BGL, .LD2)
- Improve Mac version shortcut functionality
- Add test function
- Add support for .mdd downloads on iPhone
- Add scroll bar
- Add dict shortcut button in main window
- Improve file reader support
- Add simplified/traditional Chinese conversion for search
- Allow full screen on iPhone
- Font selection memory
- Improve configuration for dictionary grouping backup
- Support for iPhone 6/6 Plus
- Allow scrolling down precedents near a keyword
- Multi-dictionary lookup convenience
iSutra
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
MDict
No in-app purchases
iSutra
No in-app purchases









