# Chambers Thesaurus vs Merriam

The clearest difference is price: Merriam at Free against Chambers Thesaurus's $4.99. Merriam also leads on ratings volume (331K vs 11) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). Chambers Thesaurus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Merriam is free to download; Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99 up front. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Chambers Thesaurus asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Chambers Thesaurus against 4.8 for Merriam. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 331K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Chambers Thesaurus's written reviews are positive against 83% of Merriam's.

Chambers Thesaurus ships an update every 8 months, Merriam every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chambers Thesaurus | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-thesaurus/id342112144/reviews)** | [4.8 (331K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **331K** |
| Positive reviews | 76.7% of reviews | **83.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#50** |
| Size | 18 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 Thesaurus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chambers-thesaurus/id342112144)

This offline English thesaurus offers a vast collection of synonyms and antonyms for writers and language enthusiasts. It features intelligent word entry with spelling suggestions and advanced search capabilities, all accessible without an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Nearly 40,000 indexed words, 400,000 synonyms and antonyms, Intelligent spelling suggestions, Sounds-like and confused word suggestions, Fast pattern-matching search, Cross-reference to dictionaries, Offline access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent tool overall
- 📚 Comprehensive vocabulary
- ✍️ Great for writers
-  crossword Perfect for crosswords
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Incomplete vocabulary (missing common words)
- 🔗 Faulty linking between words
- 🐛 App crashes after updates
- 💻 Not working on newer OS versions
- 🖱️ Faulty interface (search field not immediate)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening after update
- App no longer works on older OS versions
- Search field not immediately available
- Latest update prevents download on iPhone
- Index broken, making it less useful

**Requested features**

- Switch between purchased dictionaries/thesauruses in tabs
- Sell other desktop dictionaries on mobile
- Consistent spacing and text placement across tabs
- Use MacOS built-in support for graphics card acceleration
- Display identifying headings ('Thesaurus'/'Dictionary')


### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #50 Top Free · Reference, #83 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 Thesaurus free?

Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merriam free?

Merriam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?

Chambers Thesaurus is rated higher. Chambers Thesaurus averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Merriam averages 4.8 from 331K ratings.

### Do Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam have ads?

Merriam shows ads; Chambers Thesaurus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?

Chambers Thesaurus ships an update every 8 months, and Merriam every 3 months. Most recently, Chambers Thesaurus was updated on November 6, 2026 and Merriam on November 6, 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.*