Merriam vs Pocket Thesaurus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Merriam
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.
- Offline dictionary access
- Voice search for words
- Daily Word of the Day
- Vocabulary word games
- Integrated thesaurus
- Audio pronunciations
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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: * 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 * In-app purchase: an ad-free experience + access to Kids, Medical, and Legal dictionaries * 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
Pocket Thesaurus
Expand your vocabulary and master the English language with this offline thesaurus. Quickly find synonyms and antonyms, explore word definitions, and enhance your writing and communication skills. Features include daily word challenges and advanced search options.
- Extensive offline access to 90,000+ words
- Fast and efficient synonym/antonym search
- Word of the Day/Week from GRE list
- Advanced search with wildcards
- Bookmark and search history
- AI-powered word insights
- Compact size, no full-screen ads
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Unleash the power of words with Pocket Thesaurus, your ultimate offline companion for expanding your vocabulary and mastering the English language. Whether you're writing an essay, preparing for exams (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS), crafting a speech, or simply searching for the perfect word, Pocket Thesaurus puts a comprehensive, lightning-fast dictionary and study suite right in your pocket — 100% offline. _________________________________________________________________ FIND THE RIGHT WORD, EVERY TIME _________________________________________________________________ • Extensive Offline Database: Explore over 90,000 common words, synonyms, antonyms, and definitions without needing an internet connection. • Lightning-Fast Search: Instant results with typo-tolerant suggestions and wildcard search (* and ?) for words you aren't sure how to spell. • Synonym & Antonym Powerhouse: Explore related terms sorted by relevance and part of speech. Tap any word to dive deeper into its linguistic web. • American & British Variations: Automatically matches spelling variations (e.g., colour / color, analyse / analyze). _________________________________________________________________ POWERFUL VOCABULARY & STUDY TOOLS _________________________________________________________________ • 3D Flashcards: Boost retention using spaced repetition flashcards designed for rapid vocabulary building. • Vocabulary Quiz: Practice meanings, test your synonym mastery, and beat your personal high score with smart question rotation. • Word of the Day & Week: Curated vocabulary drawn from top academic word lists to level up your language day by day. • Daily Streaks: Build consistent study habits and track your learning streak. • Worldwide Word Map: Watch live vocabulary trends and see what words language enthusiasts are exploring around the globe. _________________________________________________________________ SMART & MODERN COMPANION _________________________________________________________________ • AI Lexical Assistant: Ask our AI assistant for deep nuances, historical etymology, sentence examples, or tailored grammar breakdowns. • Bookmarks & History: Save favorite terms into custom bookmarks and quickly review your recent searches. • Home Screen Quick Actions: Jump directly to Search, Random Word, Flashcards, or the Word Map right from your iPhone home screen. • Beautiful Dark & Light Theme: Designed for comfort with customizable font sizes, audio pronunciations, and native iOS Dark Mode support. • Distraction-Free: Lightweight and responsive, with zero full-screen popup ads interrupting your flow. Download Pocket Thesaurus today and discover the joy of finding the exact right word, every single time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Merriam at 4.8 against Pocket Thesaurus's 4.4. Merriam also leads on ratings volume (331K vs 585) and review sentiment (83% vs 62%). Pocket Thesaurus's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month and Pocket Thesaurus sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 331K ratings behind it against 585, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Merriam's written reviews are positive against 62% of Pocket Thesaurus's.
Merriam ships an update every 3 months, Pocket Thesaurus fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Merriam | Pocket Thesaurus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (331K ratings) — better | 4.4 (585 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.2% of reviews — better | 62.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 331K — better | 585 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #50 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 255 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Merriam-Webster, Inc. | CONEM LABS INFOSYSTEMS LLP |
Customer experience
Merriam
Pocket Thesaurus
User reviews
Merriam
From 331K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Comprehensive definitions
- 👍 Helpful thesaurus
- 🚀 Offline access
- 👍 Word of the day feature
Room to improve
- 🐛 Ads can be intrusive
- 🐛 Difficulty closing ads
- 🐛 Repetitive game questions
- 🐛 Missing words in dictionary
- 🐛 Unreasonable level progression in games
Pocket Thesaurus
From 585 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ⭐ Useful resource
- 🔍 Helpful for writing and crosswords
- 💻 Works offline
- 📚 Extensive synonym and antonym database
- 🧠 Improves writing and vocabulary
Room to improve
- 🤮 Inappropriate ads
- 🔍 Search function issues
- 🔀 Reverts to previous searches
- 📵 Can't remove ads
- 🐞 Bugs and glitches
Bugs and requests
Merriam
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when searching for certain words
- Widget does not update daily word
- Scribble feature is buggy
- Inconsistent ad behavior
Requested features
5 requests- Add spelling correction suggestions
- Improve word game timer and scoring
- Expand etymology information
- Add more languages beyond English
- Improve widget functionality
Pocket Thesaurus
Reported bugs
4 issues- Search does not work
- App freezes or crashes
- Typing issues with keyboard
- Inconsistent or incorrect search results
Requested features
5 requests- Add pronunciation feature
- Improve search functionality
- Provide option to remove ads
- Expand word database with more complex vocabulary
- Enhance user interface and design
In-app purchases
Merriam
- Premium Monthly$1.791 Month
- Remove Ads$2.991 Year
- All References + Remove Ads7 Days trial$5.991 Year
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- Premium Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Pocket Thesaurus
- Pocket Thesaurus Premium7 Days trial$0.991 Month
- Pocket Thesaurus Premium7 Days trial$4.996 Months
- Pocket Thesaurus Premium1 Month trial$8.991 Year
Questions
Is Merriam free?
Is Pocket Thesaurus free?
Which has better reviews, Merriam or Pocket Thesaurus?
Do Merriam or Pocket Thesaurus have ads?
Which is updated more often, Merriam or Pocket Thesaurus?
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