Comparison

EMDEX Reference vs Drugs Dictionary

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

Head to head
About

EMDEX Reference

This app provides comprehensive drug and therapeutic information for Nigeria, including essential medicines, treatment guidelines, and drug product details. It features an interaction checker, diagnosis and management of prevalent diseases, and a natural health products compendium. Designed for healthcare professionals, it offers enhanced search and detailed drug information.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive drug product database
  • Essential Medicines List
  • Standard Treatment Guideline recommendations
  • Interaction checker
  • Natural health products compendium
  • Diagnosis and management of prevalent diseases
  • Rapid drug news and safety alerts
Features
Read full description

EMDEX (Essential Medicines Index) is Nigeria’s trusted source for drug and therapeutic information published since 1991. Based on both the WHO Model Formulary and Nigeria’s Essential Medicines Lists, EMDEX is unique to Nigeria as it also details over 15000 drug products approved for use in the country. EMDEX App has several unique functionalities, practice resources & tools including: 1. Nigeria's most comprehensive & regularly updated Drug Product Database 2. Nigeria's Essential Medicines List (EML & EMLc) 3. NSTG (Nigeria's Standard Treatment Guideline) Recommendations under the drug details 4. Dental Formulary 5. Therapeutic Notes 6. Compendium of Natural Health Products 7. Diagnosis & Management of Prevalent Diseases in the country 8. Interaction Checker 9. RapidRx – Keep up-to-date with latest drug news, safety alerts & recalls. 10. Indication Index, etc. EMDEX is for healthcare professionals only. Other key features: - Enhanced Search Functionality (Search by Brand, Generic or Indication). - Easy to navigate by Generics, Therapeutic Classes, Indications. - Drugs details featuring Adult & Child Dosages, Renal Dose, Administration, Pharmacovigilance, Advice to Patients, Nursing Action, Drug Use in Pregnancy & Lactation, Drug product descriptions & Pack sizes, etc. - Favourite Drugs (Build your Formulary by Bookmarking your favourite drugs) - Feedback (You can directly post your valuable suggestions, advice & comments) Disclaimers EMDEX Mobile Drug Reference & Therapeutic Notes is to be used only as a reference aid and educational purpose and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is neither intended to be a substitute for the exercise of professional judgment and should not be relied upon solely for final treatment decisions. The clinical information contained in the App is intended as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the knowledge, expertise, skill, and judgment of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, or other healthcare professionals involved in patient care. We used reliable & authentic data sources and company literatures. Although great effort has been made in compiling and checking the information contained in this app to ensure that it is accurate, the publisher, the authors, editors and their servants or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for the continued currency of the information or for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in this app whether arising from negligence or otherwise howsoever, or for any consequences arising there from. A LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INDEPENDENTLY REACHING ANY MEDICAL JUDGMENT, AND FOR ANY RESULTING DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENTS, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY USE OF THE CONTENT BY SUCH MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. BY USE OF THIS APP YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE INFORMATION ON THIS APP MAY CONTAIN INACCURACIES AND OTHER ERRORS. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Drugs Dictionary

Access comprehensive information on medications, medical terms, and diseases without an internet connection. This app offers detailed drug data, prescription guidance, and a vast database for educational purposes.

Highlights
  • Offline access
  • Detailed drug information
  • Medication prescriptions
  • Medical terminology
  • Unlimited bookmarks
  • Quick search
Features
Read full description

Drugs Dictionary app that provides all information about drugs used for medication, many medical terminology and also Details about Diseases. App Features:- - Completely offline and free to download. - Detailed information about each drugs - Medication prescription for various diseases - Many medical terminology - Unlimited bookmark - Quick search tool - Very friendly and Nice design - Big database of drugs Sources of the information: * Drug Information (source for the FDA) - https://www.fda.gov/drugs/development-approval-process-drugs/drug-approvals-and-databases * Diseases Information (source for the Clinical Table Search Service) - https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/apidoc/disease_names/v3/doc.html Disclaimer: By using this application, you must read these terms. The contents of this app are meant for educational purposes only, and not for treatment or diagnosis of any health condition. Always consult your doctor or specialist before using any drugs or medications. The publisher, authors, or any third party data providers associated with this app do not have any responsibility for the use of the information provided in this app.

Screenshots

EMDEX Reference4 screens
Drugs Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Drugs Dictionary at none against EMDEX Reference's 3. Drugs Dictionary also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, ads, monetization model 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. EMDEX Reference sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Drugs Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drugs Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 9 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EMDEX Reference ships an update every 5 months, Drugs Dictionary every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
EMDEX Reference versus Drugs Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMDEX ReferenceDrugs Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings)4.9 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings39 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB37 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperEMDEX LimitedFRIENDSAPP LISTING

Customer experience

EMDEX Reference

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Drugs Dictionary

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

EMDEX Reference

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$0.997 Days
  • Querterly Plan$6.993 Months
  • Yearly Plan$24.991 Year
None

Drugs Dictionary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EMDEX Reference free?
EMDEX Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drugs Dictionary free?
Drugs Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EMDEX Reference or Drugs Dictionary?
Drugs Dictionary is rated higher. EMDEX Reference averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Drugs Dictionary averages 4.9 from 9 ratings.
Do EMDEX Reference or Drugs Dictionary have ads?
Both EMDEX Reference and Drugs Dictionary show ads.
Which is updated more often, EMDEX Reference or Drugs Dictionary?
EMDEX Reference ships an update every 5 months, and Drugs Dictionary every 6 weeks. Most recently, EMDEX Reference was updated on September 10, 2026 and Drugs Dictionary on September 25, 2026.

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