Comparison

Chambers Thesaurus 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 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.

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
Currently charting
Read full description

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).

About

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.

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
Currently charting
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: * 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

Chambers Thesaurus4 screens
Merriam4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99 and Merriam $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Chambers Thesaurus versus Merriam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChambers ThesaurusMerriam
Price$4.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.9 (11 ratings) — better4.8 (22K ratings)
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews82.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1122K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#189#13 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS15.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB238 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAntony LewisMerriam-Webster, Inc.

Customer experience

Chambers Thesaurus

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral4.7%
Negative18.6%

Merriam

All ratings22,135 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews517 reviews
Positive82.0%
Neutral6.2%
Negative11.8%

User reviews

Chambers Thesaurus

From 11 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

None

Chambers Thesaurus

No in-app purchases

None

Merriam

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chambers Thesaurus free?
Chambers Thesaurus costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merriam free?
Merriam costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
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 22K ratings.
Do Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam have ads?
Neither Chambers Thesaurus nor Merriam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?
Chambers Thesaurus ships an update every 8 months, and Merriam every 5 months. Most recently, Chambers Thesaurus was updated on November 1, 2026 and Merriam on November 4, 2026.
Which is more popular, Chambers Thesaurus or Merriam?
Chambers Thesaurus currently peaks at #189 in the App Store charts, and Merriam at #13. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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