Gloss · Compared · Oxford Dictionary
Gloss vs Oxford Dictionary
The Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus app, published by MobiSystems, carries the Oxford name and 18 Oxford dictionaries across several languages, downloadable for offline use. Gloss has no thesaurus, and its words are English. It explains the word in your style, and gives you a reason to come back tomorrow.
What Oxford Dictionary does better
- The Oxford name, and entries written by Oxford’s editors.
- Offline, in full, in several languages.
- A thesaurus and recorded pronunciations, once you pay.
What Gloss does differently
- Written in your style. Plain, ADHD, Gen Z, Metaphor, Formal, or Like I’m 5, on any card.
- A daily word with questions, a streak and games, so the word stays.
- No ads to remove. Oxford sells a Premium that takes the ads out; Gloss never had any.
- Paste and share. Explain a paragraph, or a word on a web page, without leaving it.
Side by side
| Gloss | Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39.99 a year after three days free; $5.99 a month; or pay once, $129.99 | Free with ads; Premium $39.99, or $19.99 a year, or $2.99 a month |
| Ads | None, and no free tier | Yes, unless you buy Premium |
| 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 | Oxford entries: senses, origins, a thesaurus (Premium), audio pronunciations (Premium) |
| Word of the day | One gloss every morning, with three questions; only answered days count toward the streak | A word of the day |
| Practice | Four games on spaced repetition, a Sunday review | None |
| Offline | Today’s gloss, this week’s words and your saved words; new lookups need a connection | Dictionaries can be downloaded |
| Languages | English, with the menus in English and Spanish | English and several bilingual dictionaries; 18 Oxford titles |
| 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 | MobiSystems, Inc.; rated 4.6 from about 29,000 ratings; age rating 4+ |
Which one?
If you translate, or you want Oxford on your phone, get the Oxford app. If you want to understand and remember English words, get Gloss. Having both is fine.
More comparisons
Gloss vs Merriam-Webster · Gloss vs Dictionary.com · Gloss vs Vocabulary.com · Gloss vs WordUp · Gloss vs Urban Dictionary · Gloss vs Cambridge Dictionary
Facts about Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus 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.