# Merriam vs INC Schedule

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: INC Schedule at none against Merriam's 4. Merriam's advantage is ratings volume (331K vs 5) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. INC Schedule asks for nothing beyond the download.

INC Schedule holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 331K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Merriam ships an update every 3 months, INC Schedule every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merriam | INC Schedule |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (331K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inc-schedule/id1491596838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **331K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 83.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#51** | — |
| Size | 255 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) | [Wilfred Cruz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491596837) |

## What reviewers say

### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #51 Top Free · Reference, #83 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


### INC Schedule

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inc-schedule/id1491596838)

Find worship service schedules and contact information for a global religious organization. Filter by region and district to narrow down results or use the search function to locate specific locals. This unofficial directory provides essential details for members worldwide.

**Highlights:** Worship service schedules, Map integration, Contact information, Filter by region and district, Search functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merriam free?

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

### Is INC Schedule free?

INC Schedule is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Merriam or INC Schedule?

INC Schedule is rated higher. Merriam averages 4.8 out of 5 from 331K ratings, while INC Schedule averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Merriam or INC Schedule have ads?

Both Merriam and INC Schedule show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merriam or INC Schedule?

Merriam ships an update every 3 months, and INC Schedule every 9 months. Most recently, Merriam was updated on November 6, 2026 and INC Schedule on November 3, 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.*