Chambers Thesaurus vs Merriam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chambers Thesaurus
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.
- 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
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The Chambers Thesaurus is the perfect reference for writers and word game enthusiasts, while all lovers of language will find it a pleasure to browse through. There are nearly 40 000 distinct indexed words, and a total of about 400 000 synonyms and antonyms. 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 - Cross-reference to offline and online dictionaries There are also standard bookmark, recent word and random word features. On newer iPads it supports Split View and Slide Over for easily viewing with other apps. With iOS 13+ it supports dark mode. No Internet connection is required. The Chambers Dictionary is also available as a separate app, and can easily be cross-referenced using the X-Ref button. Our WordWeb, Chambers and Oxford dictionaries are also available separately for Windows and Mac desktop (Collins coming soon).
Merriam
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.
- Ad-free experience
- 15,000+ premium entries
- Offline dictionary access
- Voice search functionality
- Daily Word of the Day
- Vocabulary-building word games
- Integrated thesaurus
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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: * No ads! * Premium Content: Over 15,000 additional entries covering people and places * 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 * 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Merriam at 22K against Chambers Thesaurus's 11. Merriam also leads on chart position (#13 vs #189). Chambers Thesaurus's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99 and Merriam $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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 22K 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 82% of Merriam's.
Chambers Thesaurus ships an update every 8 months, Merriam every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chambers Thesaurus | Merriam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (11 ratings) — better | 4.8 (22K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.7% of reviews | 82.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 22K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #189 | #13 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 238 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Antony Lewis | Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Customer experience
Chambers Thesaurus
Merriam
User reviews
Chambers Thesaurus
From 11 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent tool overall
- 📚 Comprehensive vocabulary
- ✍️ Great for writers
- crossword Perfect for crosswords
- 💰 Good value for money
Room to improve
- ❓ 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)
Merriam
From 22K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Clear and intuitive layout
- 🚀 Convenient offline access
- 🔍 Comprehensive word definitions
- 🔠 Helpful thesaurus and word games
- 🔊 Useful audio pronunciations
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Bugs and requests
Chambers Thesaurus
Reported bugs
6 issues- 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
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Search only for headwords, not synonyms or sub-collections
Requested features
8 requests- 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')
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Allow changing background and text color for dyslexia
- Update to the 3rd edition thesaurus
- Visibly differentiate words with links
Merriam
Reported bugs
4 issues- App freezes and crashes on launch
- Audio pronunciations not working in some cases
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- Syncing issues between devices
Requested features
5 requests- 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
In-app purchases
Chambers Thesaurus
No in-app purchases
Merriam
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chambers Thesaurus free?
Is Merriam free?
Which has better reviews, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?
Do Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?
Which is more popular, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?
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