Comparison

Dechen Study vs Merit

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

Head to head
About

Dechen Study

This app provides a structured way to study classical Buddhist texts and their commentaries. It offers various study modes, including daily verses, reading, overviews, and quizzes, to deepen understanding of the teachings.

Highlights
  • Study classical Buddhist texts
  • Explore commentaries
  • Daily verse notifications
  • Hierarchical text navigation
  • Structural text overviews
  • Knowledge quizzes
  • Guess the chapter game
Features
Read full description

Dechen Study is a companion app for studying classical Buddhist texts — designed for practitioners who want to go deeper into the root texts and their commentaries. Study texts such as: Bodhicaryavatara by Śāntideva — structured according to the commentary by Sonam Tsemo The King of Aspiration Prayers by Samantabhadra — mapped to the commentary by Drakpa Gyaltsen Friendly Letter (Suhrillekha) by Nāgārjuna — presented through the hierarchy of The Telescope of Wisdom by Karma Thinley Rinpoche Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment by Atiśa — with beginner and advanced quizzes, mapped to the commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul Study Modes: Daily Verses — Receive a new section of the text each day with a reminder notification. Work through the text gradually, at a pace that fits your life. Read — Browse the full root text in a structured, hierarchical format that reflects the outline of each commentary. Navigate by chapter, section, and subsection with breadcrumb guidance. Overview — See the complete structural outline of a text at a glance. Understand how the teachings are organised before diving into the detail. Quiz — Test your knowledge of the root verses. Choose beginner or advanced difficulty and see how well you know the text. Guess the Chapter — A verse is shown — can you identify which chapter or section it belongs to? A challenging exercise for serious students. Built for Serious Study Dechen Study is not a guided meditation app. It is a reading and memorisation tool for students who are working with classical Tibetan Buddhist literature in English translation. The texts are presented cleanly, without distraction, in a format that supports sustained engagement. Developed by the Dechen Foundation — a charitable organisation supporting the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

About

Merit

Features
Read full description

Merit is a calm, practical guide to learning Buddhism one small step at a time. Explore every course, lesson, story, and wisdom card for free. No subscription or purchase is required. Optional Sign in with Apple helps preserve progress across devices. Merit focuses on plain English explanations, practical daily actions, and respectful Theravada/Thai Forest inspired learning. There are no streaks, leaderboards, points, ads, or pressure loops. Start with one teaching. Do one good thing. Reflect honestly. Continue gently. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.makemerit.today/privacy

Screenshots

Dechen Study4 screens
Merit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dechen Study at none against Merit's 1. Dechen Study also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Merit sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Dechen Study asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dechen Study ships an update every 3 weeks, Merit monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Dechen Study versus Merit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDechen StudyMerit
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB267 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrian OSullivanNitsorn Wongsajjathiti

In-app purchases

None

Dechen Study

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Merit

Subscriptions1
  • Merit Premium$5.991 Month

Questions

Is Dechen Study free?
Dechen Study is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Merit free?
Merit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dechen Study or Merit have ads?
Neither Dechen Study nor Merit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dechen Study or Merit?
Dechen Study ships an update every 3 weeks, and Merit monthly. Most recently, Dechen Study was updated on October 20, 2026 and Merit on October 10, 2026.

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