# Concise English Dictionary vs Merriam

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Concise English Dictionary | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/concise-english-dictionary/id295386543/reviews) | **[4.8 (331K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 30 | **331K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.0% of reviews** | 83.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#45** |
| Size | 317 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [JDMI Kft.](https://appshunter.io/developer/508965227) | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) |

## What reviewers say

### Concise English Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/concise-english-dictionary/id295386543)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when searching for words

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Free · Reference, #79 Top Grossing · Reference (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.79 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | per year |
| All References + Remove Ads | $5.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*