The Free Dictionary vs Dictionary.com

The Free Dictionary9.2Visit Dictionary.com8.9Visit

Higher score The Free Dictionary #3 in Online Dictionaries 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit site

vs

Dictionary.com #6 in Online Dictionaries 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Dictionary.com

• The Free Dictionary fits best

  Users wanting the broadest free reference set

• Dictionary.com fits best

  General English lookup and word games

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Side by side

Feature	The Free Dictionary 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Dictionary.com 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.9
Ranking	#3 in Online Dictionaries	#6 in Online Dictionaries
Best for	Users wanting the broadest free reference set	General English lookup and word games
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile, Desktop	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, macOS	Web, iOS, Android
Features The Free Dictionary 4/4 · Dictionary.com 2/4
Audio pronunciation	✓	✓
Usage examples	✓	✓
Translation lookup	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Offline access	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Mobile apps	Ios_android	Ios_android
Languages covered	14	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Dictionary, thesaurus, specialist dictionaries, and translation lookup Offline access, audio pronunciations, voice search, and synchronized bookmarks Available on web, iOS, Android, macOS, and through an API	Free access across web, iOS, and Android Audio pronunciation, examples, senses, and word forms Adds thesaurus links, etymology, quizzes, and games
Cons	The free plan includes advertising The ad-free upgrade is limited to the iOS app API access is described for calls from other apps, not a broader integration suite	Focused on English rather than broader translation workflows Related synonym and antonym searches use Thesaurus.com Editorial extras may exceed the needs of quick lookups
Our verdict	The Free Dictionary is a reference service from Farlex, Inc. for looking up words, synonyms, translations, idioms, and specialist terminology. It combines dictionary and thesaurus lookup with medical, legal, science, financial, and idiom… Read the review →	Dictionary.com is a free online English dictionary for learners, writers, students, teachers, and anyone exploring language. Its searchable entries cover definitions, multiple word senses, audio pronunciation, usage examples, synonyms,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• The Free Dictionary — where it wins

  • Dictionary, thesaurus, specialist dictionaries, and translation lookup
  • Offline access, audio pronunciations, voice search, and synchronized bookmarks
  • Available on web, iOS, Android, macOS, and through an API

  Where it doesn't

  • The free plan includes advertising
  • The ad-free upgrade is limited to the iOS app
  • API access is described for calls from other apps, not a broader integration suite

• Dictionary.com — where it wins

  • Free access across web, iOS, and Android
  • Audio pronunciation, examples, senses, and word forms
  • Adds thesaurus links, etymology, quizzes, and games

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on English rather than broader translation workflows
  • Related synonym and antonym searches use Thesaurus.com
  • Editorial extras may exceed the needs of quick lookups

• The Free Dictionary9.2/10 · Free plan

  A broad free reference service with offline access, translations, and specialist dictionaries.

  Visit siteFull verdict →
• Dictionary.com8.9/10 · Free plan

  A free English reference with definitions, pronunciation, examples, and word-play extras.

  Visit Dictionary.comFull verdict →