# Medical FlashNotes vs The BMJ

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Medical FlashNotes at 100% against The BMJ's 57%. Medical FlashNotes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The BMJ sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.49 per month. Medical FlashNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Medical FlashNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Medical FlashNotes's written reviews are positive against 57% of The BMJ's.

Medical FlashNotes ships an update every 5 months, The BMJ every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Medical FlashNotes | The BMJ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medical-flashnotes/id1102059522/reviews)** | [4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bmj/id1395295755/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **13** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 4 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Robert Goulden](https://appshunter.io/developer/1102059521) | [BMJ Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/345548841) |

## What reviewers say

### Medical FlashNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medical-flashnotes/id1102059522)

This clinical medicine reference tool helps students and residents quickly look up conditions and drugs. It allows users to create custom flashcards from any content and offers a random flashcard quiz mode. All data is stored offline for convenient access.

**Highlights:** Clinical medicine reference, Quick lookup for conditions and drugs, Create custom flashcards, Random flashcard quiz mode, Offline data storage, Concise reviews of thousands of topics

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### The BMJ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bmj/id1395295755)

Access a leading general medical journal for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Stay updated with practice-changing research, expert columns, and embedded video content. Enjoy offline access to downloaded issues and earn CME points.

**Highlights:** Read leading medical research, Apply practice-changing takeaways, Access trusted, data-supported news, Offline access to downloaded issues, Earn CME points, Read ahead of print, Embedded video content

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The BMJ (1 month) | $11.49 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Easy access to BMJ
- 👍 Reliable app
- 👍 Indispensable source of information
- 👍 Given up paper version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not unbiased on strikes
- 🐛 Not as comprehensive as previously
- 🐛 Only 1 BMJ per month
- 🐛 Printed on cheap paper
- 🐛 Awful navigation

**Reported bugs**

- App won’t open on iPhone
- App always asks to restore purchase
- Account does not exist
- Often doesn’t allow access to most recent edition
- Poor updating of editions

**Requested features**

- Copy figures and tables to more apps directly
- Copy figures and tables to more apps directly eg Twitter lectures etc
- Would be nice to be able to export text/tables/flow charts with a click
- Would like a bit less subscription payment
- Please see title! (Dark mode)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Medical FlashNotes free?

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

### Is The BMJ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Medical FlashNotes or The BMJ?

Medical FlashNotes is rated higher. Medical FlashNotes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while The BMJ averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.

### Do Medical FlashNotes or The BMJ have ads?

Neither Medical FlashNotes nor The BMJ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Medical FlashNotes or The BMJ?

Medical FlashNotes ships an update every 5 months, and The BMJ every 6 months. Most recently, Medical FlashNotes was updated on November 4, 2026 and The BMJ on November 2, 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.*