Comparison

Chambers 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

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.

Highlights
  • Extensive word coverage
  • Latest new words
  • Intelligent spelling suggestions
  • Advanced search with pattern matching
  • Filter search results by word type
  • Offline functionality
  • Anagrams
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

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

Chambers Dictionary4 screens
Merriam4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Chambers Dictionary versus Merriam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChambers DictionaryMerriam
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (13 ratings)4.8 (328K ratings)
Positive reviews78.8% of reviews83.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13328K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#198#37 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB255 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAntony LewisMerriam-Webster, Inc.

Customer experience

Chambers Dictionary

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews113 reviews
Positive78.8%
Neutral8.8%
Negative12.4%

Merriam

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

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

None

Chambers 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 Chambers Dictionary free?
Chambers Dictionary costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merriam free?
Merriam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chambers Dictionary or Merriam?
Chambers Dictionary and Merriam are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 13 and 328K ratings respectively.
Do Chambers Dictionary or Merriam have ads?
Merriam shows ads; Chambers Dictionary does not.
Which is updated more often, Chambers Dictionary or Merriam?
Chambers Dictionary ships an update every 4 months, and Merriam every 3 months. Most recently, Chambers Dictionary was updated on September 21, 2026 and Merriam on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Chambers Dictionary or Merriam?
Chambers Dictionary currently peaks at #198 in the App Store charts, and Merriam at #37. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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