Dictionary vs Wiktionary Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dictionary
Instantly look up words from your iOS Home Screen without opening the app. Get definitions in seconds to aid studying, reading, or satisfying curiosity, keeping you focused and learning.
- Home Screen widget for instant lookups
- No app launch required
- Quick definitions
- Seamless learning experience
- Focus on tasks
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With the iOS widget, you can look up words instantly right from your Home Screen — no need to launch the app. Whether you’re studying, reading, or just curious, the widget makes searching smooth and effortless. Stay focused on your task, get definitions in seconds, and keep learning without interruptions. Perfect for students, language learners, and anyone who loves words.
Wiktionary Reader
Access a comprehensive, multilingual free dictionary. Search for keywords with full-text search and browse results. Explore random entries or manage your saved pages.
- Full-text search
- Multilingual dictionary access
- Browse random entries
- Bookmark and history management
- Language selection
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Wiktionary Reader is a fast, focused way to explore Wiktionary — the free, collaborative, multilingual dictionary — on iPhone and iPad. SEARCH 198 LANGUAGE EDITIONS Look up words in English, Japanese, French, German, Chinese, and nearly 200 other Wiktionary editions. Reorder the language list to keep your favorites on top, and hide the ones you don't need. QUICK LOOKUPS Matching entries appear as soon as you search, and recent results are cached so repeat lookups show up instantly. Tap the dice button to discover a random entry and pick up a new word. A BETTER READING VIEW • Search an entry's title again with a single tap • Translate an entry into your preferred language with the globe button (powered by Google Translate) • Follow links freely with Home, Back, and Forward buttons • Open an entry in Safari or share it • Dark Mode support • Save images from entries to Photos BOOKMARKS AND HISTORY Bookmark the words you want to come back to. Every entry you open is added to your history automatically. Search and reorder both lists, and set how many items each one keeps. Export your bookmarks to a file and import them on another device. TWO-COLUMN LAYOUT ON LARGER SCREENS On an unfolded iPhone Duo or on iPad, search results appear on the left and the entry on the right, so you can move from word to word without losing your place. Fold your iPhone Duo and the app switches to a single column automatically. You can turn the two-column layout off in Settings. AVAILABLE IN 50 LANGUAGES The app's interface is localized into 50 languages, including English and Japanese. Wiktionary Reader is not an official app of the Wikimedia Foundation. Wiktionary content is written by its contributors and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License and other licenses. An internet connection is required to search and read entries.
Screenshots
Verdict
Dictionary and Wiktionary Reader both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 51% of Wiktionary Reader's. Wiktionary Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (63 vs 5). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for Dictionary against 3.9 for Wiktionary Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wiktionary Reader has 63 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 51% of Wiktionary Reader's.
Dictionary ships an update every 3 weeks, Wiktionary Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dictionary | Wiktionary Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) — better | 3.9 (63 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.0% of reviews — better | 51.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 63 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Catalystwo | KAZUYUKI TAJIMA |
Customer experience
Dictionary
Wiktionary Reader
In-app purchases
Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Wiktionary Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dictionary free?
Is Wiktionary Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Dictionary or Wiktionary Reader?
Do Dictionary or Wiktionary Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dictionary or Wiktionary Reader?
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