# BMJ Best Practice vs PCDS

The clearest difference is update cadence: BMJ Best Practice at monthly against PCDS's every 14 months. PCDS's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BMJ Best Practice ships an update monthly, PCDS every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BMJ Best Practice | PCDS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (207 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bmj-best-practice/id1105379489/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **207** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 102 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [BMJ Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/345548841) | [Primary Care Dermatology Society](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733470173) |

## What reviewers say

### BMJ Best Practice

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bmj-best-practice/id1105379489)

Access up-to-date, evidence-based clinical guidance for healthcare professionals. This app offers offline access to diagnostic, treatment, and prevention information, along with patient leaflets, calculators, and procedure videos. It also tracks CME/CPD activities.

**Highlights:** Evidence-based clinical guidance, Offline access, Patient leaflets, Medical calculators, Guidance videos, CME/CPD tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and reliable
- 💡 Comprehensive and up-to-date content
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🔍 Excellent resource for healthcare professionals
- 🧠 Helpful for learning and revision

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent mandatory updates and downloads
- 🔌 Issues with offline access and background downloads
- 🤖 Compatibility problems on certain devices
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality for calculators

**Reported bugs**

- App getting stuck on download screen
- Inability to open the app on certain devices
- Automatic logout issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to save favorites and bookmarks
- Improved support for landscape mode and split-screen
- Author/reference details for content
- Institutional login option


### PCDS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pcds/id6478600851)

This app offers educational resources and diagnostic tools for healthcare professionals managing dermatological issues. It aims to enhance knowledge and skills in skin condition diagnosis and treatment for primary care settings.

**Highlights:** Dermatology education resources, Skin diagnostic tools, Guidance on skin condition management, Resources for primary care settings, Networking opportunities

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BMJ Best Practice free?

BMJ Best Practice is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PCDS free?

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

### Do BMJ Best Practice or PCDS have ads?

Neither BMJ Best Practice nor PCDS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BMJ Best Practice or PCDS?

BMJ Best Practice ships an update monthly, and PCDS every 14 months. Most recently, BMJ Best Practice was updated on September 28, 2026 and PCDS on September 21, 2026.

---

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