Comparison

WordWeb 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

WordWeb Dictionary

This app provides a comprehensive offline English dictionary and thesaurus with fast searching, spelling suggestions, definitions, and usage examples. It offers extensive word data and advanced search filters without requiring an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Offline dictionary and thesaurus
  • Fast searching
  • Spelling suggestions
  • Definitions and usage examples
  • Synonyms and related words
  • Advanced search filters
  • Bookmark and history support
Features
Read full description

The WordWeb English dictionary and thesaurus: fast searching, spelling suggestions, definitions, usage examples, synonyms, related words - and no adverts. An offline audio version is available separately. The comprehensive WordWeb dictionary database includes: - 285,000 words, phrases and derived forms - 225,000 word sense definitions - 70,000 usage examples - 85,000 text pronunciations - Synonyms, similar and related words - N. American, British, Australian and international English A version with 70,000 professionally recorded audio pronunciations is available as a separate product. The intelligent word entry suggests possible correct spellings as you type, as well as listing words that sound the same or are often confused. Additional features include the ability to drill down on any word in a definition, full bookmark support and history. Search features include: - Alphabetical listing - Spelling suggestions - Sounds-like and often-confused - Fast pattern-matching search (*, ?, vowel and consonant) - Filter search results by noun, verb, adjective, adverbs - Customize search options (case, derived forms, etc) No Internet connection is required to use WordWeb, and it's free. Chambers dictionary and thesaurus are also available, and you can cross-reference to both Chambers and old Oxford dictionary apps from WordWeb.

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

WordWeb Dictionary4 screens
Merriam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WordWeb Dictionary at none against Merriam's 4. WordWeb Dictionary also leads on ads (none vs shown). Merriam's advantage is ratings volume (328K vs 268) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support 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

Both are free to download. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. WordWeb Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 328K ratings behind it against 268, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of WordWeb 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

WordWeb Dictionary ships an update every 5 months, Merriam every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
WordWeb Dictionary versus Merriam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWordWeb DictionaryMerriam
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (268 ratings)4.8 (328K ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews — better83.2% of reviews
Number of ratings268328K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#39 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB255 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAntony LewisMerriam-Webster, Inc.

Customer experience

WordWeb Dictionary

All ratings268 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews623 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.5%
Negative6.3%

Merriam

All ratings327,751 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews2,510 reviews
Positive83.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative12.0%

User reviews

WordWeb Dictionary

From 268 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 Simple and user-friendly
  • 🔒 No ads or data tracking
  • 💡 Offline functionality
  • 👍 Comprehensive definitions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔍 Limited word suggestions
  • 📏 Needs adjustable text size
  • 🔀 Difficulty clearing search history

Merriam

From 328K 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

WordWeb Dictionary

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Text input field not working on some devices
  • Definitions not updating with latest changes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add audio pronunciation
  • Expand thesaurus and etymology features
  • Implement a random word generator
  • Allow customizing word list display

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

WordWeb 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 WordWeb Dictionary free?
WordWeb Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merriam free?
Merriam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam?
Merriam is rated higher. WordWeb Dictionary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 268 ratings, while Merriam averages 4.8 from 328K ratings.
Do WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam have ads?
Merriam shows ads; WordWeb Dictionary does not.
Which is updated more often, WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam?
WordWeb Dictionary ships an update every 5 months, and Merriam every 3 months. Most recently, WordWeb Dictionary was updated on September 22, 2026 and Merriam on September 25, 2026.

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