UpToDate vs MedCalc
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UpToDate
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.
- Expert AI conversational guidance
- Gold standard clinical content
- Practice-changing updates
- Patient education materials
- Drug reference and interactions
- Clinical calculators
- Kidney dosing guidance
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UpToDate is the clinical decision support solution trusted by over 3M healthcare professionals to help improve care delivery and patient outcomes. Now powered by UpToDate Expert AI, a generative AI experience built on rigorously maintained UpToDate clinical intelligence to delivers fast, clinically grounded answers through a conversational interface. Expert AI, available in select packages and applications, brings together the latest evidence and real-world clinical expertise and provides transparent sourcing, embedded guardrails, and oversight, supporting clinical reasoning and helping clinicians make confident, informed decisions. Key features include: • Expert AI: Conversational guidance that mirrors how clinicians think. • Gold Standard Clinical Content: Clinician-authored clinical intelligence and graded recommendation, enriched with clinical algorithms, graphics, videos, and continuously updated to reflect the latest evidence and clinical care experience. • Practice-Changing Updates: Timely insights that reflect the latest evidence and how it impacts patient care. • Patient Education: Thousands of patient education leaflets in up to 19 different languages to improve patient understanding and support care plan adherence. • Key Points Panels: Quick, clinically actionable guidance to help clinicians avoid common diagnostic and treatment errors embedded in UpToDate search results. • Drug Reference & Interactions: Evidence-based drug monographs and interaction analysis to support safe and informed prescribing decisions. • Clinical Calculators: Over 200 tools to support dosing, risk scoring, and patient assessments. • Rx Transitions: Step-by-step support for switching antidepressants safely. • Kidney Dosing: Drug dosing guidance for patients with renal impairment. Available on mobile, desktop, and integrated into EHRs, ensuring you can access UpToDate’s trusted guidance where and when you need it. Access to features will vary depending on your UpToDate account. Expert AI is now available in personal trainee subscriptions and UpToDate Pro Plus subscriptions in the US, and through select Enterprise Edition accounts. To get access, explore personal subscription options on the UpToDate website or contact your Enterprise account lead. This app is designed for use by medical professionals. If you are not a medical professional, please consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.
MedCalc
This app offers a comprehensive collection of essential medical calculators across various specialties. It features smart search, offline access, and a favorites function for quick access to frequently used tools. Optimized for low-light environments with dark mode and bilingual support.
- Comprehensive medical calculator library
- Favorites for quick access
- Smart search functionality
- Offline access
- Dark mode support
- Bilingual (English/Chinese)
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* Comprehensive Library: Covers major specialties including Cardiology, Neurology, Respiratory, Intensive Care, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nephrology, and Psychiatry. * Essential Tools: Includes industry-standard calculators like CHA₂DS₂-VASc, Wells Criteria (DVT/PE), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), NIHSS, eGFR (CKD-EPI 2021), NEWS-2, Child-Pugh, and MELD. * Favorites: Pin your most frequently used calculators to the top for quick access during rounds or consultations. * Smart Search: Instantly find what you need with a powerful search bar that supports both calculator names and descriptions. * Offline Access: Fully functional without an internet connection—perfect for hospitals with poor signal. * Dark Mode: Optimized for low-light environments to reduce eye strain during night shifts. * Bilingual Support: Seamlessly switch between English and Chinese. Included Calculators: * Cardiology: HEART Score, ASCVD Risk, Framingham, HAS-BLED, GRACE * Neurology: ABCD² Score, ICH Score, ASRS-v1.1, IQCODE * Respiratory: CURB-65, BODE Index, STOP-BANG * Intensive Care: qSOFA, SIRS, SOFA 2.0 * Gastroenterology: Forrest Classification, FIB-4 Index * General: BMI, Body Surface Area (BSA) * ...and many more! Disclaimer: This app is intended for educational and reference purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical judgment. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MedCalc at 100% against UpToDate's 28%. MedCalc also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription). UpToDate's advantage is chart position (#174 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | UpToDate | MedCalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (579 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 28.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 579 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #174 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | UpToDate, Inc. | 亭 邓 |
Customer experience
UpToDate
MedCalc
Bugs and requests
UpToDate
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to download offline content
- Constant need to re-authenticate
- Incompatibility with recent iOS updates
Requested features
3 requests- Highlight and annotate content
- Improved institutional login support
- Dark mode and font size options
MedCalc
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
UpToDate
No in-app purchases
MedCalc
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is UpToDate free?
Is MedCalc free?
Do UpToDate or MedCalc have ads?
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