Chambers Dictionary vs Merriam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chambers Dictionary
This comprehensive English dictionary offers extensive coverage of words, including new terms from science and culture. It features intelligent search with spelling suggestions, pattern matching, and filtering, plus standard tools like bookmarks and anagrams. An offline reference for word enthusiasts and crossword solvers.
- Extensive word coverage
- Latest new words
- Intelligent spelling suggestions
- Advanced search with pattern matching
- Filter search results by word type
- Offline functionality
- Anagrams
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Chambers is the single-volume international English dictionary with the widest coverage of all the riches of the English language. Clear, accurate and occasionally witty definitions, with the latest new words from science, technology and contemporary culture. This 13th Edition reflects the changes in our language, with special attention paid to new words that have emerged, new uses of old words and the most up-to-date pronunciation. The 13th Edition includes over 260,000 distinct words, compounds, phrases and derived forms. The intelligent word entry suggests possible correct spellings as you type, as well as listing words that sound the same or are often confused. 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) - Full text search - Anagrams There are also standard bookmark, recent word and random word features. No Internet connection is required, and it supports Split View and Slide over for use with other apps on iPad. The Chambers Dictionary is treasured by word-lovers and crossword enthusiasts for its majestic coverage of English and its tradition of sneaking in a sprinkling of light-hearted definitions. Alone among the single-volume dictionaries, it preserves a rich stock of words from our literary heritage as well as covering all the latest developments in contemporary English. Chambers Thesaurus is also available as a separate app, and can easily be cross-referenced from the dictionary. Our WordWeb, Chambers, Collins and Oxford dictionaries are also available separately for Windows and Mac desktop.
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.
- Offline dictionary access
- Voice search for words
- Daily Word of the Day
- Vocabulary word games
- Integrated thesaurus
- Audio pronunciations
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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
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Merriam at Free against Chambers Dictionary's $9.99. Merriam also leads on ratings volume (328K vs 13) and chart position (#37 vs #198). Chambers Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, 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
Merriam is free to download; Chambers Dictionary costs $9.99 up front. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Chambers Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chambers Dictionary against 4.8 for Merriam. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 328K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Chambers Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 83% of Merriam's.
Chambers Dictionary ships an update every 4 months, Merriam every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chambers Dictionary | Merriam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (13 ratings) | 4.8 (328K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.8% of reviews | 83.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 328K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #198 | #37 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 255 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Antony Lewis | Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Customer experience
Chambers Dictionary
Merriam
Bugs and requests
Chambers Dictionary
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
Chambers Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Merriam
- Premium Monthly$1.791 Month
- Remove Ads$2.991 Year
- All References + Remove Ads7 Days trial$5.991 Year
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- Premium Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Chambers Dictionary free?
Is Merriam free?
Which has better reviews, Chambers Dictionary or Merriam?
Do Chambers Dictionary or Merriam have ads?
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