Cambridge Dictionary vs The Free Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org
The Free Dictionary
thefreedictionary.comSide by side
| Figure | Cambridge Dictionary | The Free Dictionary |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 6 |
| Spec score · Online Dictionaries | 8.3 (#9) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Founded | 1999 | Farlex says it was founded in 2004, while TheFreeDictionary launched in 2003. |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, United Kingdom | Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Integrations | Cambridge offers a Dictionary API, a free double-click dictionary search for websites, and search widgets. | The app listing says other apps can access The Free Dictionary through API calls and directs developers to contact Farlex for instructions. |
| Support | The help page answers frequently asked questions and directs users to contact Cambridge if their question is not answered. | The help page invites questions and complaints and says users can contact Farlex for assistance. |
Plans
The Free Dictionary
- Classic free appFree
- The Free Dictionary appFree
- The Free Dictionary websiteFree
- Ad-free upgrade$5.99, paid once
- Ad-free upgrade$5.99, paid once
- Dictionary Pro$9.99, paid once
In their own words
Cambridge Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary is an online reference offering English learner, academic, and business dictionaries, plus bilingual translation dictionaries. Its content draws on the Cambridge English Corpus, which Cambridge says contains more than 1.5 billion words of real English. Pronunciation pages provide British and American audio, phonetic transcriptions, and videos illustrating words and sentences. The thesaurus includes synonyms, antonyms, examples, and explanations of differences between words and phrases in British and American English. Cambridge Dictionary +Plus adds quizzes, word lists, and word games; users can create, download, and share free lists and quizzes, with up to 500 words in each list. The online plan costs nothing and includes dictionaries and +Plus word lists and quizzes. Cambridge also offers an API, a free double-click dictionary search for websites, and search widgets. Access is listed for web, Android, iOS, and extensions, with 29 languages covered. Cambridge Dictionaries Online began offering dictionaries free of charge in 1999.
The Free Dictionary
The Free Dictionary brings together dictionaries, a thesaurus, specialized reference works, encyclopedias, literature references, and a search engine. Its app adds audio pronunciations, example sentences, etymologies, word games, and a daily word and idiom. It offers dictionaries in 13 other languages and translations from English into more than 40 languages. The app provides free offline access to English dictionary and thesaurus content; offline dictionaries in other languages are Pro features. Users can save bookmarks and sync them across devices. The website and app are free, while the app includes ads and in-app purchases. Listed one-time options are 5.99 USD for an ad-free upgrade and 9.99 USD for Dictionary Pro, which includes ad-free use, offline dictionaries, and translations. It is available on Android, iOS, macOS, and the web. Other apps can access it through API calls; developers are directed to contact Farlex for instructions. The app directs users with questions or problems to Feedback in Settings for email support.