# Merriam vs PulpShelf

The clearest difference is price: PulpShelf at Free against Merriam's $9.99. PulpShelf also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months). Merriam's advantage is chart position (#9 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

PulpShelf is free to download; Merriam costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Merriam ships an update every 5 months, PulpShelf every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merriam | PulpShelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary-plus/id478126577/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 238 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Merriam-Webster, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/399452290) | [Matthew Moring](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788549571) |

## What reviewers say

### Merriam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merriam-webster-dictionary-plus/id478126577)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

Access America's leading dictionary with over 15,000 extra entries for people and places. Enjoy offline access, voice search, and daily vocabulary builders. This app offers expert word guidance with a thesaurus and example sentences.

**Highlights:** Ad-free experience, 15,000+ premium entries, Offline dictionary access, Voice search functionality, Daily Word of the Day, Vocabulary-building word games, Integrated thesaurus

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clear and intuitive layout
- 🚀 Convenient offline access
- 🔍 Comprehensive word definitions
- 🔠 Helpful thesaurus and word games
- 🔊 Useful audio pronunciations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app freezes and crashes
- ⚠️ Missing words and incomplete definitions
- 🔍 Lack of spell-check and word suggestions
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 🔀 Difficulty navigating back to previous words

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and crashes on launch
- Audio pronunciations not working in some cases
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Improved search with spell-check and suggestions
- Ability to mark and review words
- Integration with system search and Siri
- Support for landscape mode and dark mode
- Expanded word coverage and more detailed definitions


### PulpShelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulpshelf/id6788549569)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merriam free?

Merriam costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PulpShelf free?

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

### Do Merriam or PulpShelf have ads?

Neither Merriam nor PulpShelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merriam or PulpShelf?

Merriam ships an update every 5 months, and PulpShelf every 9 days. Most recently, Merriam was updated on November 2, 2026 and PulpShelf on October 28, 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.*