# Collins COBUILD Dictionary vs Merriam

The clearest difference is price: Merriam at Free against Collins COBUILD Dictionary's $11.99. Merriam also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (328K vs 46). Collins COBUILD Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Merriam is free to download; Collins COBUILD Dictionary costs $11.99 up front. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Collins COBUILD Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 328K ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Collins COBUILD Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 83% of Merriam's.

Collins COBUILD Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, Merriam every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Collins COBUILD Dictionary | Merriam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $11.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collins-cobuild-dictionary/id389735161/reviews) | **[4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **328K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.2% of reviews | **83.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#53** |
| Size | 68 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MobiSystems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289579214) | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) |

## What reviewers say

### Collins COBUILD Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collins-cobuild-dictionary/id389735161)

This comprehensive English language reference tool offers clear definitions in full sentences, drawing from a vast database of real-world text. Enhance your writing and understanding with detailed word entries, example sentences, and advanced search and learning tools.

**Highlights:** Clear definitions in full sentences, Extensive word database, Thousands of example sentences, Search autocomplete, Keyword lookup, Camera and voice search, Favorites and recent word lists

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #53 Top Free · Reference, #82 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 Collins COBUILD Dictionary free?

Collins COBUILD Dictionary costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merriam free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Collins COBUILD Dictionary or Merriam?

Merriam is rated higher. Collins COBUILD Dictionary averages 4.4 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Merriam averages 4.8 from 328K ratings.

### Do Collins COBUILD Dictionary or Merriam have ads?

Merriam shows ads; Collins COBUILD Dictionary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Collins COBUILD Dictionary or Merriam?

Collins COBUILD Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, and Merriam every 3 months. Most recently, Collins COBUILD Dictionary was updated on October 16, 2026 and Merriam on October 17, 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.*