Gloss · Compared · Cambridge Dictionary
Gloss vs Cambridge Dictionary
The Cambridge English Dictionary app is a learner’s dictionary from Cambridge University Press: 140,000 words and phrases, British and American audio, offline. Gloss is also made for understanding. The explanation is written in the style you pick, and the app gives you a reason to open it every day.
What Cambridge Dictionary does better
- A learner’s dictionary from a university press, with levels and examples written for non-native readers.
- Audio in British and American English, recorded by people.
- Offline, in full, and a long list of bilingual editions.
What Gloss does differently
- Two of the six styles, Like I’m 5 and Plain, are made for people meeting a word for the first time.
- A daily word, three questions and games, so a learner has a reason to open the app tomorrow.
- Every gloss has a Something off? button, and wrong meanings get fixed in the next update.
- Paste a paragraph from a textbook or an email and read it in plain English.
Side by side
| Gloss | Cambridge English Dictionary, 4th edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39.99 a year after three days free; $5.99 a month; or pay once, $129.99 | Free to download, with in-app purchases (prices shown in the app) |
| Ads | None, and no free tier | Not stated on the listing |
| How a word is explained | Six styles you choose, rewritten per word; a line with the word in use; origin; close synonyms; the classic definition where one exists | Learner’s entries with examples, related words and synonyms at each meaning |
| Word of the day | One gloss every morning, with three questions; only answered days count toward the streak | None stated |
| Practice | Four games on spaced repetition, a Sunday review | Flashcard quiz, favorites, a table of irregular verbs |
| Offline | Today’s gloss, this week’s words and your saved words; new lookups need a connection | Yes, the whole dictionary |
| Languages | English, with the menus in English and Spanish | English, with bilingual editions as separate apps |
| Where it runs | iPhone (iOS 18 and up); the share sheet; widgets | iPhone, iPad; Android |
| On the App Store | New in 2026, by PixelPaw SRL | Cambridge University Press & Assessment; rated 2.6 from about 260 ratings; age rating 4+ |
Which one?
If you are learning English with a teacher, the Cambridge app is a good dictionary to have. If you are learning it by living in it, Gloss is for you.
More comparisons
Gloss vs Merriam-Webster · Gloss vs Dictionary.com · Gloss vs Vocabulary.com · Gloss vs Oxford Dictionary · Gloss vs WordUp · Gloss vs Urban Dictionary
Facts about Cambridge English Dictionary, 4th edition were read from its App Store listing in October 2026 and may have changed since. Prices are in US dollars. Nothing here is endorsed by its publisher. Corrections: support@gloss.day.