# WordWeb Dictionary vs Merriam

The clearest difference is price: WordWeb Dictionary at Free against Merriam's $9.99. WordWeb Dictionary also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 82%). Merriam's advantage is ratings volume (22K vs 268) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

WordWeb Dictionary is free to download; Merriam costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 22K 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 82% of Merriam's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WordWeb Dictionary | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (268 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordweb-dictionary/id309627313/reviews) | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary-plus/id478126577/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 268 | **22K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.1% of reviews** | 82.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 77 MB | 238 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Antony Lewis](https://appshunter.io/developer/289981687) | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) |

## What reviewers say

### WordWeb Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordweb-dictionary/id309627313)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Text input field not working on some devices
- Definitions not updating with latest changes

**Requested features**

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


### Merriam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary-plus/id478126577)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

Access America's leading dictionary with over 15,000 extra entries for people and places. Enjoy offline access, voice search, and daily vocabulary builders. This app offers expert word guidance with a thesaurus and example sentences.

**Highlights:** Ad-free experience, 15,000+ premium entries, Offline dictionary access, Voice search functionality, Daily Word of the Day, Vocabulary-building word games, Integrated thesaurus

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clear and intuitive layout
- 🚀 Convenient offline access
- 🔍 Comprehensive word definitions
- 🔠 Helpful thesaurus and word games
- 🔊 Useful audio pronunciations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app freezes and crashes
- ⚠️ Missing words and incomplete definitions
- 🔍 Lack of spell-check and word suggestions
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 🔀 Difficulty navigating back to previous words

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes on launch
- Audio pronunciations not working in some cases
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Improved search with spell-check and suggestions
- Ability to mark and review words
- Integration with system search and Siri
- Support for landscape mode and dark mode
- Expanded word coverage and more detailed definitions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WordWeb Dictionary free?

WordWeb Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merriam free?

Merriam costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### 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 22K ratings.

### Do WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam have ads?

Neither WordWeb Dictionary nor Merriam shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam?

WordWeb Dictionary ships an update every 5 months, and Merriam every 5 months. Most recently, WordWeb Dictionary was updated on October 16, 2026 and Merriam on October 18, 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.*