# UpToDate vs Micromedex

The clearest difference is monetization model: Micromedex at free against UpToDate's subscription. UpToDate's advantage is ratings volume (579 vs 35) and rating (3.6 vs 3.4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

UpToDate holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UpToDate has 579 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of UpToDate's written reviews are positive against 24% of Micromedex's.

UpToDate ships an update every 5 weeks, Micromedex every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UpToDate | Micromedex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uptodate/id334265345/reviews)** | [3.4 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/micromedex/id6471286555/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **579** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | **28.3% of reviews** | 23.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#169** | — |
| Size | 56 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [UpToDate, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/334265348) | [Merative](https://appshunter.io/developer/1643925283) |

## What reviewers say

### UpToDate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uptodate/id334265345)

**Currently charting:** #169 Top Free · Medical (US App Store)

This clinical decision support tool provides healthcare professionals with evidence-based guidance to improve patient care. It features AI-powered conversational answers, continuously updated medical content, and tools for drug reference, calculations, and patient education.

**Highlights:** Expert AI conversational guidance, Gold standard clinical content, Practice-changing updates, Patient education materials, Drug reference and interactions, Clinical calculators, Kidney dosing guidance

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Invaluable medical resource
- 🚀 Quick and easy to use
- 🔍 Comprehensive and up-to-date content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🔌 Unreliable offline functionality
- 💰 Expensive subscription cost

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to download offline content
- Constant need to re-authenticate
- Incompatibility with recent iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Highlight and annotate content
- Improved institutional login support
- Dark mode and font size options


### Micromedex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/micromedex/id6471286555)

Access evidence-based clinical insights at the point of care with this comprehensive medical reference app. It provides daily updated drug information, pediatric and neonatal references, IV compatibility, and drug interaction checks, along with clinical calculators.

**Highlights:** Drug Reference Summary, NeoFax and Pediatric Reference, IV Compatibility, Drug Interactions, Clinical Calculators, Automated Content Updates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UpToDate free?

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

### Is Micromedex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UpToDate or Micromedex?

UpToDate is rated higher. UpToDate averages 3.6 out of 5 from 579 ratings, while Micromedex averages 3.4 from 35 ratings.

### Do UpToDate or Micromedex have ads?

Neither UpToDate nor Micromedex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, UpToDate or Micromedex?

UpToDate ships an update every 5 weeks, and Micromedex every 2 months. Most recently, UpToDate was updated on September 22, 2026 and Micromedex on August 29, 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.*