Comparison

Merriam vs Pocket Thesaurus

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Offline dictionary access
  • Voice search for words
  • Daily Word of the Day
  • Vocabulary word games
  • Integrated thesaurus
  • Audio pronunciations
Features
Read full description

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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Merriam4 screens
Pocket Thesaurus4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Merriam ships an update every 3 months, Pocket Thesaurus fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Merriam versus Pocket Thesaurus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMerriamPocket Thesaurus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (331K ratings) — better4.4 (585 ratings)
Positive reviews83.2% of reviews — better62.2% of reviews
Number of ratings331K — better585
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#50 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size255 MB108 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMerriam-Webster, Inc.CONEM LABS INFOSYSTEMS LLP

Customer experience

Merriam

All ratings327,751 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews2,579 reviews
Positive83.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative12.0%

Pocket Thesaurus

All ratings565 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive62.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative31.9%

User reviews

Merriam

From 331K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

4 purchases

Merriam

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Monthly$1.791 Month
  • Remove Ads$2.991 Year
  • All References + Remove Ads7 Days trial$5.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year
3 purchases

Pocket Thesaurus

Subscriptions3
  • 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?
Merriam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pocket Thesaurus free?
Pocket Thesaurus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Merriam or Pocket Thesaurus?
Merriam is rated higher. Merriam averages 4.8 out of 5 from 331K ratings, while Pocket Thesaurus averages 4.4 from 585 ratings.
Do Merriam or Pocket Thesaurus have ads?
Both Merriam and Pocket Thesaurus show ads.
Which is updated more often, Merriam or Pocket Thesaurus?
Merriam ships an update every 3 months, and Pocket Thesaurus fortnightly. Most recently, Merriam was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pocket Thesaurus on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons