# Chambers Dictionary vs Merriam

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 unranked). 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.

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. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chambers Dictionary | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-dictionary/id314269183/reviews) | [4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **328K** |
| Positive reviews | 78.8% of reviews | **83.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#37** |
| Size | 58 MB | 255 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

### Chambers Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-dictionary/id314269183)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #37 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 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 25, 2026 and Merriam on September 25, 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.*