Decoding Golden Mirror vs Tibetan English Dictionary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decoding Golden Mirror
This Tibetan-Tibetan dictionary focuses on older terms found in dharma texts, offering detailed explanations and illustrative quotes from other sources. It provides longer, clearer entries than some alternatives, making it ideal for serious translation work.
- Tibetan-Tibetan dictionary
- Focuses on older dharma terms
- Illustrative quotes from other texts
- Longer, clearer entries
- Approximately 5000 entries
- Aids serious translation work
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Decoding Golden Mirror dictionary specializes in older terms which are often used in dharma texts but hard to find in normal dictionaries. The dictionary is Tibetan-Tibetan so it is not for novices. However, for those doing serious work it is a gem. One of its features is that it gives quotes from various other dictionaries or texts to highlight the meaning of words. Unlike the Tshigdzod Chenmo Tibetan-Tibetan dictionary whose very pithy entries can make it very difficult to understand, this dictionary has much longer entries with very clear illustrations of the meaning. Here is an example illustrating those features. This is the text of the first entry: Ka: Here is what it says. 1) Ka is used to mean (don la ’jug pa) “desire”; it says in the Correct Lettering Well Explained Dictionary “‘ka’ is for desire”… The dictionary contains about 5000 entries. We strongly recommend this dictionary as a basic tool for any serious translation work.
Tibetan English Dictionary
This comprehensive Tibetan-English dictionary offers reliable definitions from scholarly sources. It features multiple translation modes, a built-in Tibetan keyboard, and offline functionality. Save words, track your history, and explore new vocabulary with a clean, user-friendly interface.
- Offline Tibetan-English translation
- Built-in Tibetan keyboard
- English definition text-to-speech
- Save and track word history
- Multiple scholarly sources
- Dark and light themes
Read full descriptionHide full description
The most comprehensive Tibetan–English dictionary on the App Store — Nangchen Tashi's scholarly reference drawing on 15 open-source corpora so you get thorough, reliable definitions in one place. Whether you're a student of classical Tibetan, a dharma practitioner reading Buddhist texts, a translator, or simply curious about the language, this dictionary gives you the depth of a research library in a pocket-sized app. THREE POWERFUL MODES • Tibetan → English: Look up Tibetan terms and get detailed English definitions from multiple scholarly sources. • English → Tibetan: Find the Tibetan equivalent for any English word. • Tibetan → Tibetan: Explore native Tibetan definitions for deeper understanding. BUILT-IN TIBETAN KEYBOARD No need to install a separate keyboard. Tap the keyboard icon to open a quick Tibetan input pad — type in Tibetan script effortlessly, right inside the app. LISTEN TO ENGLISH DEFINITIONS Tap to hear English definitions read aloud with text-to-speech. Perfect for learners who want to hear pronunciation while reading — study vocabulary hands-free or reinforce your understanding by listening along. WORKS COMPLETELY OFFLINE All 15 dictionaries ship with the app. No data connection needed after download — look up words on a plane, in a monastery, or anywhere without internet. SAVE, TRACK & EXPLORE • Favorites: Save important words with one tap for quick review later. • History: Automatically tracks every word you've looked up — never lose a search. • Random Word: Discover new vocabulary with the random entry button. BEAUTIFUL, THOUGHTFUL DESIGN • Clean, modern interface with dark and light themes. • Large, readable Tibetan script (Noto Serif Tibetan) throughout. • Fast search-as-you-type with instant results. • Smooth animations and a distraction-free reading experience. SCHOLARLY SOURCES This dictionary aggregates entries from 15 respected Tibetan lexicographic corpora, including Rangjung Yeshe, Jeffrey Hopkins, Dan Martin, Ives Waldo, James Valby, the Mahāvyutpatti, and more. From Tibetanebook.com — dedicated to preserving and sharing Tibetan literary heritage. Questions or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Tibetan English Dictionary at Free against Decoding Golden Mirror's $19.99. Tibetan English Dictionary also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 26 months). Decoding Golden Mirror's advantage is iOS requirement (13.2 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Tibetan English Dictionary is free to download; Decoding Golden Mirror costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Decoding Golden Mirror ships an update every 26 months, Tibetan English Dictionary every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Decoding Golden Mirror | Tibetan English Dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 26 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.2 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 68 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Anthony Duff | Digital Vajra |
Customer experience
Decoding Golden Mirror
Tibetan English Dictionary
In-app purchases
Decoding Golden Mirror
No in-app purchases
Tibetan English Dictionary
No in-app purchases






