# Dechen Study vs Merit

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Dechen Study | Merit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dechen-study/id6760129062/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 49 MB | 267 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adrian OSullivan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882788549) | [Nitsorn Wongsajjathiti](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896462367) |

## What reviewers say

### Dechen Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dechen-study/id6760129062)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Merit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merit-buddhism-for-everyone/id6771922671)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Merit Premium | $5.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*