# American Heritage Dictionary 5 vs Luminous E

The clearest difference is rating: American Heritage Dictionary 5 at 4.5 against Luminous E's 4.0. American Heritage Dictionary 5 also leads on ratings volume (420 vs 6) and review sentiment (43% vs 24%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. American Heritage Dictionary 5 sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Luminous E sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

American Heritage Dictionary 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: American Heritage Dictionary 5 has 420 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of American Heritage Dictionary 5's written reviews are positive against 24% of Luminous E's.

American Heritage Dictionary 5 ships an update every 2 months, Luminous E every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | American Heritage Dictionary 5 | Luminous E |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (420 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-heritage-dictionary-5/id475661641/reviews)** | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luminous-e-j-dictionary/id600480308/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **420** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **43.5% of reviews** | 23.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 627 MB | 1021 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Enfour, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284965604) | [English Channel, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/597837764) |

## What reviewers say

### American Heritage Dictionary 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-heritage-dictionary-5/id475661641)

Access a comprehensive English language dictionary with over 10,000 new words and senses. Features include real-time searching, cross-referencing, pronunciation guides, and etymologies. Enhance your vocabulary and understanding of word origins on the go.

**Highlights:** Entire text of the Fifth Edition, Real-time progressive searching, Three-way cross-referencing indexes, Wildcard pattern searches, Detailed etymologies, Professionally recorded sound files, AI boosted anagram generator

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AHD 5th Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Roget's II: The New Thesaurus | $4.99 | one-time |
| AHD5 -activation | $13.99 | one-time |
| AHD4-user discount | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent dictionary content
- 🔍 Quick reference and search
- 🔊 Good pronunciation support
- 📚 Comprehensive word information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Forced in-app purchases
- 🔄 Unreliable updates and support
- 🤖 Outdated and clunky interface

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Inability to access full dictionary
- Bookmarks and history issues
- Compatibility problems with OS updates

**Requested features**

- Improved search and navigation
- Better integration with other apps
- More sample sentences and usage examples
- Ability to sync across devices


### 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 American Heritage Dictionary 5 free?

American Heritage Dictionary 5 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, American Heritage Dictionary 5 or Luminous E?

American Heritage Dictionary 5 is rated higher. American Heritage Dictionary 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 420 ratings, while Luminous E averages 4.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do American Heritage Dictionary 5 or Luminous E have ads?

Neither American Heritage Dictionary 5 nor Luminous E shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, American Heritage Dictionary 5 or Luminous E?

American Heritage Dictionary 5 ships an update every 2 months, and Luminous E every 5 weeks. Most recently, American Heritage Dictionary 5 was updated on September 25, 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.*