# Google Translate vs PONS Translate & Dictionary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Google Translate at none against PONS Translate & Dictionary's 15. Google Translate also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). PONS Translate & Dictionary's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (57% vs 41%). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PONS Translate & Dictionary sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Google Translate asks for nothing beyond the download.

PONS Translate & Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Translate has 84K ratings behind it against 1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Google Translate's written reviews are positive against 57% of PONS Translate & Dictionary's.

Google Translate ships an update weekly, PONS Translate & Dictionary every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Google Translate | PONS Translate & Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (84K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-translate/id414706506/reviews) | **[4.7 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pons-translate-and-dictionary/id577741918/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **84K** | 1K |
| Positive reviews | 41.1% of reviews | **57.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 295 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) | [PONS Langenscheidt GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/577049805) |

## What reviewers say

### Google Translate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-translate/id414706506)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Reference, #166 Top Free (US App Store)

Instantly translate text, voice, and images between hundreds of languages. Features include offline translation, real-time conversation translation, and the ability to save frequently used phrases.

**Highlights:** Text translation, Offline translation, Instant camera translation, Photo translation, Voice translation, Conversation translation, Phrasebook

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Spoken Cantonese & Jyutping recently added
- 🚀 Fantastic for translating on the go
- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Useful for learning languages
- 👍 Offline translation available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate translations for some languages
- 🐛 Buggy camera/image translation
- 🐛 Inconsistent translation of formal/informal language
- 🐛 Slow performance, especially offline
- 🐛 Cluttered interface, poor UX design

**Reported bugs**

- Camera translation not working without internet connection
- Inability to select and translate specific text in images
- Inconsistent translation of words with multiple meanings
- Predictive text feature providing inaccurate suggestions

**Requested features**

- Add more language support, especially for minority languages
- Improve accuracy of translations, especially for Asian languages
- Allow manual selection of text in image translation
- Add option to toggle between formal and informal language
- Improve offline performance and functionality


### PONS Translate & Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pons-translate-and-dictionary/id577741918)

Translate text and words between 40 languages with over 50 dictionaries. Features intelligent search, voice translation, and offline access to saved entries. Ideal for travelers and language learners.

**Highlights:** Text and word translation, Over 50 dictionaries, Intelligent search with suggestions, Camera translation, Voice translation and conversation mode, Offline access to favorites, Pronunciation audio

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No ads for 1 month | $1.99 | per month |
| 1 month English-Spanish | $2.49 | per month |
| 1 month English-French | $2.49 | per month |
| 1 month English-German | $2.99 | per month |
| 3 months English-German | $7.49 | per 3 months |
| 3 months Spanish-German | $7.49 | per 3 months |
| No ads for 1 year | $8.99 | per year |
| Premium version 1 month | $8.99 | per month |
| 1 year Spanish-German | $18.49 | per year |
| 1 year English-Spanish | $18.49 | per year |
| 1 year English-German | $18.49 | per year |
| 1 year English-French | $18.49 | per year |
| Premium version for 1 year | $29.99 | per year |
| This app without ads for 1 year | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate translations
- 💡 Comprehensive dictionary with examples
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Helpful for language learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 💸 Aggressive ads even in paid version
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to previous versions
- 🔍 Fails to recognize some words and phrases
- 👎 Unreliable pronunciation feature

**Reported bugs**

- Search function not working reliably
- Purchased ad-free version still showing ads
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Offline mode
- Improved text translation capabilities
- More language options
- Better handling of handwritten scripts
- Customizable font sizes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Google Translate free?

Google Translate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PONS Translate & Dictionary free?

PONS Translate & Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Google Translate or PONS Translate & Dictionary?

PONS Translate & Dictionary is rated higher. Google Translate averages 4.3 out of 5 from 84K ratings, while PONS Translate & Dictionary averages 4.7 from 1K ratings.

### Do Google Translate or PONS Translate & Dictionary have ads?

PONS Translate & Dictionary shows ads; Google Translate does not.

### Which is updated more often, Google Translate or PONS Translate & Dictionary?

Google Translate ships an update weekly, and PONS Translate & Dictionary every 6 weeks. Most recently, Google Translate was updated on September 26, 2026 and PONS Translate & Dictionary on September 24, 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.*