Comparison

Concise English Dictionary vs Merriam

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Concise English Dictionary

Explore a vast English dictionary and thesaurus with detailed definitions, pronunciations, and word origins. Access over 591,700 entries and 4.9 million words, with offline capabilities and a user-friendly interface for enhanced language learning.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive dictionary database
  • High-quality audio pronunciations
  • Extensive IPA pronunciation guides
  • In-depth word origins (etymology)
  • Detailed definitions and example sentences
  • Integrated thesaurus with synonyms
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

Discover the power of words with Concise English Dictionary & Thesaurus, an exceptional all-in-one reference app designed to elevate your language experience on iOS. Endorsed by Experts: "The app’s clean interface, speed, and size make it a compelling and useful addition to the iPhone or iPod touch." — Ben Boychuk, MACWORLD Key Features: • Comprehensive Database: Access one of the largest English dictionary databases, with up to 591,700 entries and over 4.9 million words, ensuring you find exactly what you need. • High-Quality Audio Pronunciations: Hear words pronounced in American, British, and Australian English, with options for both male and female voices. • Extensive Pronunciation Guides: Includes 134,000 guides in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), with easy-to-use symbol assistance—just tap the guide to understand pronunciation details. • In-Depth Word Origins: Discover the etymologies of words to better understand their histories and how meanings have evolved. • Detailed Definitions and Examples: Get clear, precise definitions along with sample sentences to see words in context, enhancing your writing and speaking skills. • Thesaurus Integration: Expand your vocabulary with word links that provide synonyms and related terms. • Diverse Lexical Entries: Beyond everyday words, find biographical and geographical data, technical and scientific terms, idioms, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners, interjections, abbreviations, contractions, common misspellings, irregular forms, and even Old English words. • User-Friendly Experience: Enjoy fast look-ups and a snappy user interface with smooth-scrolling screens, specifically designed for iOS devices. • Customizable History and Bookmarks: Keep track of your search history and bookmark favorite words for quick reference. • Fun and Educational Word Shake: Shake your device to discover random words and expand your vocabulary in an enjoyable way. • Offline Access: Use the app anytime, anywhere, without needing an internet connection.

About

Merriam

Access America's most respected dictionary, updated with new words and meanings. This app offers offline access, voice search, daily vocabulary challenges, and a thesaurus. It's designed for English language reference, education, and vocabulary enhancement.

Highlights
  • Offline dictionary access
  • Voice search for words
  • Daily Word of the Day
  • Vocabulary word games
  • Integrated thesaurus
  • Audio pronunciations
Features
Read full description

Get America's most useful and respected dictionary, optimized for your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Continuously updated with the newest words and meanings, this is the premier iOS app for English language reference, education, and vocabulary building. Key Features: * Offline access: Complete access to definitions and synonyms whether or not you're connected * Voice Search: look up a word without having to spell it * Word of the Day: learn a new word every day * Word Games: fun, fast quizzes to test your vocabulary * Favorite Words and Search History: keep track of the words that are most important to you * Favorite Word Syncing Through iCloud: share your favorites between devices and on the Web * In-app purchase: an ad-free experience + access to Kids, Medical, and Legal dictionaries * For Tablets: browse the entire dictionary with a scrolling index * Apple Watch Extension: see the Word of the Day and find watch-sized definitions with voice search Expert Word Guidance: * Integrated Thesaurus: more than 200,000 word choices with examples of their use * Example Sentences: understand how a word is used in context * Audio Pronunciations: voiced by real English speakers, not text-to-speech robots Terms of Use: https://www.merriam-webster.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Concise English Dictionary4 screens
Merriam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Merriam at Free against Concise English Dictionary's $0.99. Merriam also leads on ratings volume (331K vs 30) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Concise English Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Merriam is free to download; Concise English Dictionary costs $0.99 up front. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Concise English Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 331K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Concise English Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 83% of Merriam's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Concise English Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, Merriam every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Concise English Dictionary versus Merriam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConcise English DictionaryMerriam
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (30 ratings)4.8 (331K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.0% of reviews — better83.2% of reviews
Number of ratings30331K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#50 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size317 MB255 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperJDMI Kft.Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Customer experience

Concise English Dictionary

All ratings30 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews200 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral5.5%
Negative9.5%

Merriam

All ratings327,751 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews2,577 reviews
Positive83.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative12.0%

User reviews

Concise English Dictionary

From 30 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and straightforward
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 💡 Offline functionality
  • 🔍 Comprehensive word coverage
  • 📚 Useful for improving vocabulary

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Functionality issues (e.g., idioms search not working)
  • 🔍 Limited thesaurus features
  • 📱 Lacks landscape mode support on iPad
  • 💬 Some definitions lack detail
  • 🔍 Struggles with obscure or technical words

Merriam

From 331K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Comprehensive definitions
  • 👍 Helpful thesaurus
  • 🚀 Offline access
  • 👍 Word of the day feature

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Ads can be intrusive
  • 🐛 Difficulty closing ads
  • 🐛 Repetitive game questions
  • 🐛 Missing words in dictionary
  • 🐛 Unreasonable level progression in games

Bugs and requests

Concise English Dictionary

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Inconsistent behavior when searching for words

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved thesaurus functionality
  • Ability to sync bookmarks across devices
  • Predictive text support for easier word lookup
  • Integration with system-wide search (e.g., Spotlight)

Merriam

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when searching for certain words
  • Widget does not update daily word
  • Scribble feature is buggy
  • Inconsistent ad behavior

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add spelling correction suggestions
  • Improve word game timer and scoring
  • Expand etymology information
  • Add more languages beyond English
  • Improve widget functionality

In-app purchases

None

Concise English Dictionary

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Merriam

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Monthly$1.791 Month
  • Remove Ads$2.991 Year
  • All References + Remove Ads7 Days trial$5.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Concise English Dictionary free?
Concise English Dictionary costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merriam free?
Merriam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Concise English Dictionary or Merriam?
Merriam is rated higher. Concise English Dictionary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Merriam averages 4.8 from 331K ratings.
Do Concise English Dictionary or Merriam have ads?
Merriam shows ads; Concise English Dictionary does not.
Which is updated more often, Concise English Dictionary or Merriam?
Concise English Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, and Merriam every 3 months. Most recently, Concise English Dictionary was updated on October 27, 2026 and Merriam on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons