# Dictionary. vs Merriam

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dictionary. | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary/id379450383/reviews) | [4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary-plus/id478126577/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 15K | **22K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.7% of reviews** | 82.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#11** |
| Size | 25 MB | 238 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-plus/id478126577)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

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:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clear and intuitive layout
- 🚀 Convenient offline access
- 🔍 Comprehensive word definitions
- 🔠 Helpful thesaurus and word games
- 🔊 Useful audio pronunciations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes on launch
- Audio pronunciations not working in some cases
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dictionary. free?

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

### Is Merriam free?

Merriam costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### 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 22K ratings respectively.

### Do Dictionary. or Merriam have ads?

Dictionary. shows ads; Merriam does not.

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

Dictionary. ships an update every 3 months, and Merriam every 5 months. Most recently, Dictionary. was updated on September 24, 2026 and Merriam on September 23, 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.*