Dictionary. vs Merriam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dictionary.
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.
- 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
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The only Dictionary and Thesaurus with every word you search for. Plus Word of the Day, free offline dictionary access, and millions of definitions and synonyms from top sources, including: Webster's Dictionary Roget's Thesaurus The American Heritage Dictionary Plus FREE access to: English Offline Dictionary English Offline Thesaurus with synonyms and more Medical Dictionary English Idioms and Slang Dictionary Translations of English into 40+ languages Dozens of other translation options + Much more! The Free Dictionary is like getting 100+ apps in one easy-to-use interface. Rated #1 app in the App Store in the free reference category in 114 countries 2011–2019. (Source: https://www.appannie.com/apps/ios/app/379450383/app-ranking/#device=ipad&type=best-ranks) Here's what you can do with The Free Dictionary app: * Find every word you search for. Clear, accurate definitions from top dictionaries—online and offline. * Find synonyms fast. Free Thesaurus with simple interface makes it easy to find the perfect word. Browse synonyms, antonyms, and related words. * Learn something new every day. Word of the Day Idiom of the Day + Other daily content * Build your vocabulary. Don't just look up words—learn how to use them! Featuring: Audio pronunciations Example sentences Etymologies + More! The perfect dictionary app for word lovers and learners of all levels. * Explore topics in-depth. Multiple specialty dictionaries and encyclopedias: Medical dictionary Legal dictionary Science dictionary Financial dictionary Idioms and Slang dictionary Acronyms and Abbreviations + More! * Play word games. Spelling Bee, Hangman, and more. * See idioms in action. Watch idioms videos inside the app! Featuring animations of words and phrases from the idioms and slang dictionary. * Access dictionaries in 13 other languages. Spanish dictionary and thesaurus French dictionary and thesaurus German dictionary and thesaurus + Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, and more! * Translate English into Spanish, French, and 40+ languages. Or translate other languages into English. Access dozens of other translation options. * Access dictionaries and encyclopedias from these top publishers with just one search: McGraw-Hill Houghton Mifflin HarperCollins Random House Cambridge University Press + More! Here's why The Free Dictionary is the most user-friendly dictionary app: * Instantly look up words in apps or webpages! Just highlight the word you want to look up, tap "Share," then tap "More" in the bottom menu and turn on the "Define" option. You will then see a "Define" icon in the menu. Tap it to see the definition of the highlighted word! * Voice search. Look up a word just by saying it. * Advanced Search options. * Look up the definition of any word on the page. Just highlight and tap "Definition." * Save bookmarks with one tap and sync them to all your devices. * Customize your homepage: Move, add, or remove articles, games, even local weather. * Jump to Definition, Thesaurus, or Translations with one button. * Navigate the app in more than a dozen languages with the multilingual interface. * Adjust font size. * Share your favorite words via social networks, email, or text. EXCLUSIVE * Earn meals for hungry children through The Free Dictionary's partnership with the World Food Program—just by using the app! This is not a trial version—you get everything free and forever. Additional offline dictionaries in other languages are available in the Pro version. Seem too good to be true? The Free Dictionary app has been downloaded tens of millions times across multiple platforms, with top ratings after hundreds of thousands of reviews. Read reviews from real users to see why they say The Free Dictionary is the best dictionary app they've ever used. * For app developers: The Free Dictionary app can be accessed by other apps with API calls (Contact Farlex for instructions).
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 price: Dictionary. at Free against Merriam's $9.99. Dictionary. also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 82%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Merriam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and monetization model 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
Dictionary. is free to download; Merriam costs $9.99 up front. Dictionary. sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Merriam asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Dictionary. against 4.8 for Merriam. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 22K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Dictionary.'s written reviews are positive against 82% of Merriam's.
Dictionary. ships an update every 3 months, Merriam every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dictionary. | Merriam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) | 4.8 (22K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews — better | 82.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K | 22K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | #11 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 238 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Farlex, Inc. | Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Customer experience
Dictionary.
Merriam
User reviews
Dictionary.
From 15K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 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
Room to improve
- 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many ads
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific settings or features
- 🔋 Drains battery life quickly
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
Dictionary.
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent login issues and lost user data
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Incorrect or missing definitions for some words
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to create and organize custom word lists
- More advanced vocabulary-building tools
- Improved audio pronunciation quality
- Offline access to full dictionary content
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
Dictionary.
- Ad-free upgrade$5.99
Merriam
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dictionary. free?
Is Merriam free?
Which has better reviews, Dictionary. or Merriam?
Do Dictionary. or Merriam have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dictionary. or Merriam?
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