dict.cc vs PONS Dictionary

dict.cc is an online dictionary for looking up translations across language pairs, including English-German and English-French. The web dictionary is free for private and business use. Its vocabulary is maintained by volunteers, and users can suggest, correct, and confirm translations; correcting entries does not require registration. The maker says its Android and iPhone or iPad apps provide the complete vocabulary offline. The vocabulary database is also available as a downloadable text file for personal use. For Mac, the download page lists a third-party dictionary plugin for Mac OS X 10.5 and later, with separate downloads for 10.5 and 10.6. The FAQ provides code for adding a search field or an iframe translation box to another website. However, automated server-side parsing is not allowed, and the FAQ says no API is available or planned. The privacy page says cookies are used for settings, vocabulary lists, and login status; registered-user details, postings, and vocabulary trainer lists are stored permanently.

PONS Dictionary is an online lookup and translation service for single words, common word combinations, and phrases; it does not search complete sentences or texts. PONS Translate provides access to 44 PONS dictionaries in 36 languages. Entries can include grammatical, stylistic, and contextual notes, and the site offers verb tables for many languages. Users can play word pronunciations, with regional variants available in some languages. The Android and iOS app can download dictionaries for offline use; in-app purchases offer dictionaries and ad-free use. The free online dictionary is ad-supported, while the paid PONS Pur subscription removes ads and video banners apart from PONS products. Words can be added directly to a selected lesson in the PONS Vocabulary Trainer. For websites and apps, the API includes a free allowance of 1,000 reference queries monthly and can cover over 12 million headwords and phrases across 13 languages and more than 34 language combinations. PONS says text submitted for machine translation and the resulting translation are temporarily stored to improve product quality.