# Merck Manual Professional vs mobilePDR

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Merck Manual Professional at 92% against mobilePDR's 32%. Merck Manual Professional also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 107). mobilePDR's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Merck Manual Professional holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merck Manual Professional has 1.1K ratings behind it against 107, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Merck Manual Professional's written reviews are positive against 32% of mobilePDR's.

Merck Manual Professional ships an update every 4 months, mobilePDR every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merck Manual Professional | mobilePDR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merck-manual-professional/id331016312/reviews)** | [3.2 (107 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobilepdr/id964947063/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 107 |
| Positive reviews | **91.7% of reviews** | 31.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 196 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Merck & Co Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/334253467) | [PDR Equity, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/781863012) |

## What reviewers say

### Merck Manual Professional

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merck-manual-professional/id331016312)

This medical reference app offers healthcare practitioners and students clear, practical explanations for thousands of conditions across major medical and surgical specialties. It includes photos, illustrations, instructional videos, drug information, quizzes, and case simulations to stay updated with the latest clinical information.

**Highlights:** Thousands of medical topics, Photos and illustrations, Instructional 'How to' videos, Drug reference information, Knowledge quizzes, Interactive case simulations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Excellent medical resource
- 🔍 Comprehensive and up-to-date information
- 🎓 Valuable for medical professionals and students
- 🔍 Reliable and trusted source
- 🖥️ Great offline accessibility

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🔍 Outdated or missing content
- 🔍 Difficult navigation and organization

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when searching for certain conditions
- Images and videos not loading properly
- Offline mode not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add personalization features like notes, highlights, and flashcards
- Improve search functionality and relevance
- Provide more frequent content updates
- Enhance app stability and performance


### mobilePDR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobilepdr/id964947063)

Access up-to-date drug prescribing information for healthcare professionals. Quickly search thousands of drug summaries, compare medications, and check for interactions. Identify pills with color photos and imprint codes.

**Highlights:** Concise drug summaries, Drug comparison tool, Drug interaction checker, Pill identification with photos, Search by brand, generic, or class, Continuous updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great information resource
- 👍 Useful for medical professionals
- 👍 Detailed drug information
- 👍 No subscriptions needed
- 👍 Quick and accurate descriptions

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚫ Unreadable in dark mode
- ⚫ Dark text on black background
- ⚫ Poor contrast issues
- 🐛 Buggy at times
- 🐛 App crashes frequently

**Reported bugs**

- Text unreadable in dark mode
- Black text on black background
- App crashes during comparison
- App crashes on launch
- Login errors

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve readability in dark mode
- Allow landscape orientation
- Fix drug identification errors
- Add DEA/drug scheduling tab


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merck Manual Professional free?

Merck Manual Professional is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is mobilePDR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Merck Manual Professional or mobilePDR?

Merck Manual Professional is rated higher. Merck Manual Professional averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while mobilePDR averages 3.2 from 107 ratings.

### Do Merck Manual Professional or mobilePDR have ads?

Neither Merck Manual Professional nor mobilePDR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merck Manual Professional or mobilePDR?

Merck Manual Professional ships an update every 4 months, and mobilePDR every 2 months. Most recently, Merck Manual Professional was updated on November 1, 2026 and mobilePDR on October 22, 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.*