# Dictionary. vs Merriam

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Merriam at 328K against Dictionary.'s 15K. Merriam also leads on chart position (#35 vs unranked). Dictionary.'s advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dictionary. sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dictionary. against 4.8 for Merriam. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 328K ratings behind it against 15K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Dictionary.'s written reviews are positive against 83% of Merriam's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictionary. | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary/id379450383/reviews) | [4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 15K | **328K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.7% of reviews** | 83.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#35** |
| Size | 25 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Farlex, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/379450386) | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) |

## What reviewers say

### Dictionary.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary/id379450383)

Access a comprehensive dictionary, thesaurus, and translation tool with millions of definitions and synonyms. Explore specialty dictionaries, learn new words daily, and play word games. This app offers offline access and integrates seamlessly with other applications.

**Highlights:** Offline dictionary and thesaurus, Millions of definitions and synonyms, Word of the Day and Idiom of the Day, Specialty dictionaries (medical, legal, etc.), Translations into 40+ languages, Word games (Spelling Bee, Hangman), In-app word lookup via sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-free upgrade | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive and detailed definitions
- 👍 Helpful thesaurus and translation features
- 🎮 Fun word games and activities
- 📚 Vast amount of information beyond just definitions
- 🔍 Easy to use and navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many ads
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific settings or features
- 🔋 Drains battery life quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent login issues and lost user data
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Incorrect or missing definitions for some words

**Requested features**

- Ability to create and organize custom word lists
- More advanced vocabulary-building tools
- Improved audio pronunciation quality
- Offline access to full dictionary content


### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Free · Reference, #80 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 Dictionary. free?

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

### Is Merriam free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dictionary. or Merriam?

Dictionary. and Merriam are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 15K and 328K ratings respectively.

### Do Dictionary. or Merriam have ads?

Both Dictionary. and Merriam show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dictionary. or Merriam?

Dictionary. ships an update every 3 months, and Merriam every 3 months. Most recently, Dictionary. was updated on September 24, 2026 and Merriam on September 24, 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.*