# Merriam vs Larousse Spanish Basic

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Merriam at 83% against Larousse Spanish Basic's 37%. Merriam also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and rating (4.8 vs 3.7). Larousse Spanish Basic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Merriam is free to download; Larousse Spanish Basic costs $1.99 up front. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Larousse Spanish Basic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 328K ratings behind it against 75, 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 37% of Larousse Spanish Basic's.

Merriam ships an update every 3 months, Larousse Spanish Basic every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merriam | Larousse Spanish Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (328K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary/id399452287/reviews)** | [3.7 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/larousse-spanish-basic/id474710598/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **328K** | 75 |
| Positive reviews | **83.2% of reviews** | 36.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#36** | #177 |
| Size | 255 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) | [Ediciones Larousse](https://appshunter.io/developer/525533684) |

## What reviewers say

### Merriam

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

**Currently charting:** #36 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


### Larousse Spanish Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/larousse-spanish-basic/id474710598)

**Currently charting:** #177 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

Access a comprehensive Spanish dictionary with over 30,000 entries and 75,000 definitions. Look up words by typing or taking a picture, and get detailed information including grammatical category, idioms, synonyms, antonyms, and examples. An internet connection is not required for definitions.

**Highlights:** 30,000+ lexical entries, 75,000+ definitions, Search by typing or photo, Grammatical category, Locutions and idiomatic expressions, Synonyms and antonyms, Offline access for definitions

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent dictionary content
- 👍 Useful for learning Spanish
- 👍 Provides good examples
- 👍 Practical for daily use
- 👍 Accurate definitions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes on launch
- 🐛 Not working with iOS 11
- 🐛 Content not visible after update
- 🐛 Limited vocabulary
- 🐛 Basic, primary school level

**Reported bugs**

- App disappears after purchase
- Content not visible after latest update
- App does not open with iOS 11
- App crashes upon opening
- App crashes upon launch

**Requested features**

- Update for iOS 11
- Update for iOS 8
- Support Spain Spanish
- Add audio pronunciations
- Tap words in definitions to look up


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merriam free?

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

### Is Larousse Spanish Basic free?

Larousse Spanish Basic costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Merriam or Larousse Spanish Basic?

Merriam is rated higher. Merriam averages 4.8 out of 5 from 328K ratings, while Larousse Spanish Basic averages 3.7 from 75 ratings.

### Do Merriam or Larousse Spanish Basic have ads?

Merriam shows ads; Larousse Spanish Basic does not.

### Which is updated more often, Merriam or Larousse Spanish Basic?

Merriam ships an update every 3 months, and Larousse Spanish Basic every 13 months. Most recently, Merriam was updated on September 30, 2026 and Larousse Spanish Basic on September 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Merriam or Larousse Spanish Basic?

Merriam currently peaks at #36 in the App Store charts, and Larousse Spanish Basic at #177. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*