The ACPA vs PatientsLikeMe
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The ACPA
This app offers peer support, education, and hope for individuals managing pain conditions. It aims to empower users to seek quality care, improve healthcare visits, and prevent chronic disease progression.
- Peer support network
- Pain condition education
- Healthcare visit optimization
- Chronic disease prevention resources
- Motivation for quality care
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This app will facilitate peer support, education, and hope for individuals living with pain and those treating pain conditions. Our vision is to motivate those with pain conditions to seek quality care, to optimize healthcare office visits, and to prevent chronic disease.
PatientsLikeMe
Connect with others living with chronic conditions for peer support and shared knowledge. Discover curated solutions, gain health insights from lived experiences, and receive motivational reminders to manage your health journey effectively.
- Peer support network
- Shared health knowledge
- Curated solutions
- Motivational reminders
- Health insights from lived experiences
- Connect with peers 24/7
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PatientsLikeMe provides a path forward to better health through connection. Our app is for people living with chronic and complex conditions looking for community and guidance on improving their health from people who have been there. We offer access to curated solutions, real-time peer support, health insights from patients' lived experiences, and motivational reminders to take charge of your health. Key benefits include: • Actionable shared knowledge: Explore first-hand reviews, ask questions, and get support to uncover the best care approach for YOU, while sharing your experience to help others. Belonging and camaraderie: Connect with peers 24/7 who have been in your shoes to build a support network with zero judgement. Foster resilience and increase motivation to achieve your health goals. • A path forward: Feel empowered to make the best healthcare decisions to manage your condition effectively. At PatientsLikeMe, we understand that each of you has unique needs when managing your health effectively. We hear you, and we value your collective voice. So we've adapted our mobile experience to meet you where you need us most on your healthcare journey. From customizable reminders to help manage medications or helpful tips from peers to help prepare for your next medical appointment, PatientsLikeMe is here to empower you to take control of your health journey.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PatientsLikeMe at 4.2 against The ACPA's 1.8. PatientsLikeMe also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). The ACPA's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and review sentiment (10% vs 0%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PatientsLikeMe holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 18 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 10% of The ACPA's written reviews are positive against 0% of PatientsLikeMe's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The ACPA ships an update every 7 months, PatientsLikeMe every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The ACPA | PatientsLikeMe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (8 ratings) | 4.2 (18 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 10.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 388 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | The American Chronic Pain Association, Inc. | PatientsLikeMe |
Customer experience
The ACPA
PatientsLikeMe
In-app purchases
The ACPA
No in-app purchases
PatientsLikeMe
No in-app purchases









