# 说文解字 vs 色元集

The clearest difference is ads: 色元集 at none against 说文解字's shown. 说文解字's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 说文解字 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and 色元集 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

说文解字 ships an update every 4 weeks, 色元集 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 说文解字 | 色元集 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6448246314/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Zzhuhai Chestnut Network Technology Co.Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1325518014) | [文超 周](https://appshunter.io/developer/1849167594) |

## What reviewers say

### 说文解字

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6448246314)

Explore the origins and evolution of Chinese characters with this digital etymological dictionary. It meticulously restores ancient texts, offering detailed information on pronunciation, stroke count, and character roots. Discover the earliest forms and meanings of characters through multiple search options.

**Highlights:** OCR ancient text restoration, Complete 540 radical system, Multiple search methods (radical, pinyin, smart), Detailed character information, Study character evolution and culture

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 一年期会员 | $14.99 | one-time |


### 色元集

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6757387404)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 色元集月度会员 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 色元集年会员 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 色元集终身会员 | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 说文解字 free?

说文解字 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 色元集 free?

色元集 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do 说文解字 or 色元集 have ads?

说文解字 shows ads; 色元集 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 说文解字 or 色元集?

说文解字 ships an update every 4 weeks, and 色元集 every 2 months. Most recently, 说文解字 was updated on October 18, 2026 and 色元集 on October 16, 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.*