Dicty vs OpenMDict
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dicty
This app allows you to view dictionaries in StarDict format on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. It offers fast searching, contextual word lookup, and a dark color scheme for comfortable reading. Dictionaries are not included and must be downloaded separately.
- StarDict format support
- Fast search while typing
- Contextual word lookup
- Dark color scheme
- Clipboard support
- Share extension
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Dicty is a viewer application for dictionaries in StarDict format. Thanks to Dicty, thousands of free dictionaries become available for use with your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad ¹. Features: * StarDict format support (plain text, html, xdxf). * Fast search over all dictionaries while typing. * Contextual word lookup. Tap and hold on a word in the text to lookup it in all dictionaries. * Special "Dark" color scheme. Makes the text easier to read in the dark and saves your eyes. * Clipboard support. Allows to copy last translated word to clipboard. * Portrait and Landscape viewing modes. * iTunes File Sharing support. * Share extension. Allows to translate selected words from other apps. ¹ No dictionaries are provided with the application. You can find them on the Internet free of charge and download inside the application or copy using iTunes.
OpenMDict
This free, open-source dictionary reader allows you to view definitions from multiple dictionaries simultaneously. It offers pop-up lookup from any app and syncs your dictionaries, bookmarks, and history across devices via iCloud. Includes over 65 curated dictionaries to get you started.
- Multiple layout modes (Columns, Grid, List)
- Pop-up lookup via Action Extension
- Jump search within definitions
- iCloud sync for dictionaries and history
- Import unlimited dictionaries and create groups
- Includes 65+ curated open-source dictionaries
- Dark mode enhancements with adjustable brightness
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OpenMDict is a free, open-source MDict (.mdx/.mdd) dictionary reader for iPhone and iPad. ► THREE LAYOUT MODES & MULTI-WINDOW ON iPadOS - View definitions from multiple dictionaries simultaneously in Columns, Grid, or List layout — compare and cross-reference at a glance. - Desktop-class productivity with multiple windows and 30+ keyboard shortcuts. ► POP-UP LOOKUP & JUMP SEARCH - Look up words from any app via the Action Extension pop-up. - Keep jump-searching unfamiliar terms within definitions until every word is clear. ► iCLOUD SYNC & UNLIMITED GROUPS - Dictionaries, bookmarks, history, and lookup counts sync across all your devices. - Import unlimited dictionaries and create unlimited groups — no subscriptions, no ads, no paid tiers. ► PRESET DICTIONARIES INCLUDED & DARK MODE ENHANCEMENTS - Choose from 64 curated open-source dictionaries (WordNet, JMdict, CC-CEDICT, and more) — download and start using them right away. - Enhance third-party dictionaries' readability in dark mode, with 7 levels of adjustable brightness per dictionary. ► AI COACH & VOCABULARY GAMES - Turn the English words you bookmark into four quick games, generated on your device by Apple Intelligence, with definitions from your own dictionaries. - Swipe to sort synonyms, antonyms, and look-alikes. - Spot the impostor words hiding among a word's true relatives. - Settle a daytime-TV-style paternity dispute: is this word really in the family? - Answer a game-show survey: name the words that share a category. - Requires iOS 26 or later and a supported device with Apple Intelligence turned on and set to a language it supports. ► MORE FEATURES • Full MDict format support: V1 (LZO), V2 (zlib), MDD resources, obfuscated dictionaries • Lemma-aware search — finds base forms and inflected variants automatically • Siri Shortcuts, Spotlight search, Quick Actions, Share Extension, Drag & Drop • Available in 13 languages: English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Español, Deutsch, Français, Português (BR), Русский, Українська, العربية, हिन्दी
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: OpenMDict at fortnightly against Dicty's every 2 months. OpenMDict also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Dicty's advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 75%) and ratings volume (35 vs 5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
OpenMDict holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dicty has 35 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 87% of Dicty's written reviews are positive against 75% of OpenMDict's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Dicty ships an update every 2 months, OpenMDict fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dicty | OpenMDict |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (35 ratings) | 4.6 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 87.0% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aliaksandr Strakovich | Han Yin |
Customer experience
Dicty
OpenMDict
In-app purchases
Dicty
No in-app purchases
OpenMDict
No in-app purchases
