# LDOCE vs Merriam

The clearest difference is price: Merriam at $9.99 against LDOCE's $24.99. Merriam also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (22K vs 369). LDOCE's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On rating, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

LDOCE costs $24.99 and Merriam $9.99 up front. LDOCE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Merriam asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for LDOCE against 4.8 for Merriam. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 22K ratings behind it against 369, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of LDOCE's written reviews are positive against 82% of Merriam's.

LDOCE ships an update every 6 weeks, Merriam every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | LDOCE | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **$9.99** |
| Rating | [4.8 (369 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ldoce/id316133247/reviews) | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary-plus/id478126577/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 369 | **22K** |
| Positive reviews | 66.9% of reviews | **82.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#11** |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 238 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Enfour, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284965604) | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) |

## What reviewers say

### LDOCE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ldoce/id316133247)

This comprehensive English dictionary app offers an extensive vocabulary of over 230,000 words and phrases, with integrated thesaurus and collocations. It provides real-world examples, pronunciation guides, and grammar notes to enhance fluency and accuracy for advanced learners.

**Highlights:** 230,000+ words, phrases, and meanings, Integrated Thesaurus and Collocations Dictionary, 165,000+ real-world example sentences, Pronunciation files in UK & US accents, Grammar and warning notes, AI Teacher for ESL students, Flashcards and Word-of-the-Day

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Example sentence search activation | Free | one-time |
| Example Sounds download activation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Longman Activator Thesaurus | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Comprehensive dictionary
- 🔊 Good audio quality
- 📚 Extensive example sentences
- 🔖 Useful bookmark system
- 🌐 Supports both US and UK pronunciations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent malfunctions and bugs
- 🚫 App not working after iOS updates
- 🔍 Search issues (e.g., blank results)
- 🤯 Frustrating customer support
- 💾 Unreliable bookmarking and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after iOS 17 update
- Search results always blank after update
- Bookmarks deleted after updates
- App not working on certain devices/iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add hotkey/shortcut to jump to search box
- Integrate with iOS Shortcuts app
- Improve thesaurus and word relationships
- Add vocabulary training/quiz features
- Allow importing/exporting of bookmarks


### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #11 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 LDOCE free?

LDOCE costs $24.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Merriam free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LDOCE or Merriam?

Merriam is rated higher. LDOCE averages 4.8 out of 5 from 369 ratings, while Merriam averages 4.8 from 22K ratings.

### Do LDOCE or Merriam have ads?

Neither LDOCE nor Merriam shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LDOCE or Merriam?

LDOCE ships an update every 6 weeks, and Merriam every 5 months. Most recently, LDOCE was updated on October 26, 2026 and Merriam on October 26, 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.*