Comparison

UpToDate Lexidrug vs Medscape

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

Head to head
About

UpToDate Lexidrug

This app provides comprehensive drug information and tools to aid in safe medication decisions. It offers daily updated clinical information, detailed drug databases, interaction checkers, and medical calculators. It is trusted by healthcare professionals and students for quick access to expert content.

Highlights
  • Daily updated clinical drug information
  • In-depth drug databases with dosing support
  • Comprehensive drug monographs
  • Hundreds of medical calculators
  • Interactive drug interactions checker
  • Offline database access
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

UpToDate® Lexidrug™ is the preferred drug reference app, providing industry-leading drug information and tools that support safe and effective medication and therapeutic decisions. View the latest clinical information updated daily by our unparalleled multidisciplinary editorial team that continually reviews the most current evidence available. Used and trusted by pharmacists, physicians, nurses, advanced practice nurses, dentists, and students as an invaluable referential resource. Easily access Lexidrug content directly in the app without needing to download databases onto your device. Our mobile packages are designed to support a variety of roles, offering quick access to expert content and capabilities, including: • In-depth drug databases with detailed dosing support • Comprehensive monographs with adverse reactions information • Hundreds of medical calculators • Interactive drug interactions checker • Ability to store database content for offline use New individual users will receive a one-month free trial to the UpToDate Lexidrug Hospital Pharmacist package. At the end of the free trial, users will automatically be billed a subscription fee of $29.99 per month via their iTunes Account for continuing access. To avoid being charged, users must cancel their free trial at least 24 hours before the end of the trial period. Users can manage settings, cancel subscriptions, or turn off auto-renewal anytime during the subscription period via iTunes Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

About

Medscape

This app provides healthcare professionals with immediate clinical answers, medical news, and CME/CE activities. It features AI-driven tools for patient visit transcription and summarization, patient calling, and instant expert answers to medical questions. Access a comprehensive drug database, calculators, and procedural videos to enhance clinical practice.

Highlights
  • AI-driven Scribe for transcription and summarization
  • AI Search for instant medical answers
  • Drug Interaction Checker
  • Pill Identifier
  • 450+ medical calculators
  • Free CME/CE credits
  • Medical news and expert commentary
Features
Read full description

Your Go-To Medical Resource for Immediate Clinical Answers With Medscape, you get free access to the latest medical news, expert commentary, clinical tools, drug and disease information, CME/CE activities, and more—all in one place. AI-Driven Solutions to Transform Your Practice Scribe: Real-time transcription and summarization of patient visits. Dialer: Call patients using your office number from anywhere. AI Search: Get instant, expert answers to complex medical questions. Essential Clinical Tools 450+ medical calculators organized by specialty. Drug Interaction Checker, Pill Identifier, and step-by-step procedural videos. Up-to-date prescribing and safety info on 9,200+ drugs, herbals, and supplements. Stay Informed & Connected The latest FDA approvals, conference news, and clinical trial data. Expert insights across 30+ specialties. Medscape Original Podcasts, including This Week in Cardiology. Free CME/CE credits & ABIM MOC points with an Activity Tracker. Network with peers via Medscape Consult and MedscapeLIVE! events. Medscape is the Leading Online Destination for Healthcare Professionals. The information provided in the app is for informational and clinical reference purposes only and is not intended to replace independent clinical judgment, support self-diagnosis, or guide individual patient care. For additional information, please review our Terms of Use: https://www.medscape.com/public/termsofuse & our Medscape AI disclaimer https://reference.medscape.com/public/ai_search-disclaimer Have feedback? Email us at medscapemobile@webmd.net.

Screenshots

UpToDate Lexidrug4 screens
Medscape4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: UpToDate Lexidrug at 4.7 against Medscape's 3.7. UpToDate Lexidrug also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). Medscape's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (64% vs 40%). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. UpToDate Lexidrug sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. Medscape asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

UpToDate Lexidrug holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.9K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of UpToDate Lexidrug's written reviews are positive against 64% of Medscape's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UpToDate Lexidrug ships an update every 2 months, Medscape every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
UpToDate Lexidrug versus Medscape: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUpToDate LexidrugMedscape
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (5.9K ratings) — better3.7 (1.5K ratings)
Positive reviews39.6% of reviews63.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.9K — better1.5K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB276 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperLexi-CompWebMD

Customer experience

UpToDate Lexidrug

All ratings5,774 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews230 reviews
Positive39.6%
Neutral10.9%
Negative49.6%

Medscape

All ratings1,465 ratings
Positive64.1%
Neutral10.0%
Negative25.9%
Written reviews479 reviews
Positive63.9%
Neutral9.2%
Negative26.9%

User reviews

UpToDate Lexidrug

From 5.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Best app for drug information
  • 📚 Comprehensive and reliable content
  • 🔍 Helpful search and navigation
  • 🧮 Useful clinical tools (e.g., calculators)

Room to improve

  • 🐌 Sluggish performance and slow loading times
  • 🔁 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🔒 Issues with login and subscription management
  • 💰 Expensive subscription cost

Medscape

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and easy to use
  • 📚 Comprehensive medical information
  • 💻 Offline access to content
  • 🆓 Free app with no ads
  • 🏥 Useful for healthcare professionals

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes
  • 📱 Not optimized for iPad/larger screens
  • 🛒 Issues with Amazon gift card rewards
  • ⏱️ Slow response speed and lagging
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find information

Bugs and requests

UpToDate Lexidrug

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezing when trying to access certain features
  • Databases not downloading or updating properly
  • Inconsistent behavior across iOS versions

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to customize database order and priority
  • Improved offline functionality and background updates
  • More user-friendly interface and navigation

Medscape

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on opening after recent update
  • Unable to access articles or content
  • Broken links and issues with CME activities
  • Logging in and account management problems
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow users to manually enter city during registration
  • Add more languages (e.g., Spanish)
  • Improve CME/education features and tracking
  • Introduce an ad-free paid version
  • Enhance search functionality and organization

In-app purchases

2 purchases

UpToDate Lexidrug

Subscriptions2
  • Lexicomp Professional Package14 Days trial$29.991 Month
  • Lexi-COMPLETE14 Days trial$29.991 Month
None

Medscape

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is UpToDate Lexidrug free?
UpToDate Lexidrug is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Medscape free?
Medscape is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, UpToDate Lexidrug or Medscape?
UpToDate Lexidrug is rated higher. UpToDate Lexidrug averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.9K ratings, while Medscape averages 3.7 from 1.5K ratings.
Do UpToDate Lexidrug or Medscape have ads?
Medscape shows ads; UpToDate Lexidrug does not.
Which is updated more often, UpToDate Lexidrug or Medscape?
UpToDate Lexidrug ships an update every 2 months, and Medscape every 2 weeks. Most recently, UpToDate Lexidrug was updated on October 27, 2026 and Medscape on October 27, 2026.

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