Comparison

Walgreens vs CVS Health

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

Head to head
About

Walgreens

Manage prescriptions, access health services, and create custom photo gifts. Shop for essentials with convenient delivery or pickup, and save with digital coupons and rewards.

Highlights
  • Prescription refills and tracking
  • Book vaccinations and tests
  • Virtual healthcare visits
  • Create custom photo prints and gifts
  • Shop for essentials with delivery/pickup
  • Clip digital coupons and earn rewards
Features
Read full description

Get the best of Walgreens at your fingertips. Refill prescriptions, access health services for your family, create custom photo keepsakes, shop, save and more. Prescriptions & Pharmacy • Refill in a snap by scanning your prescription bottle • Receive refill updates and alerts • Track order status for the whole family • Never miss a refill with auto refills Health Services • Book vaccinations for the whole family • Schedule COVID-19 and flu tests and check eligibility for antiviral prescription treatment • Get virtual online visits with a healthcare provider 24/7 for most non-emergency conditions • Find support for diabetes, pain management, mental health and more • Get FREE prescription and general health advice 24/7 from a pharmacy expert with Pharmacy Chat Photo • Upload photos from your device to create customized photo prints, posters, calendars, and cards available in as little as 1 hour at your local Walgreens • Create fun photo gifts like magnets, mousepads, puzzles, cubes, collages and more • Get Passport and Visa photos available during your visit • Get Photo deals and promo codes updated regularly • Get FREE same-day pickup Shop & Savings • Shop essentials with convenient delivery or pickup in as little as 30 minutes* • Clip deals & coupons from anywhere • Earn unlimited Walgreens Cash rewards & get personalized offers • Get easy access to the Weekly Ad, plus the latest sales and promotions iOS Permissions: How the app uses device permissions • Location: Find nearby stores and enable in-store savings • Photos: Access pictures you’ve taken that you want to print or share • Camera: Take photos and use features that require scanning • Microphone: Speak to a healthcare provider over the phone or video, or to search for products and coupons using your voice • Apple Health app: Connect with Health app to track and share health and fitness information The Walgreens App is free to download, but specified rates from your wireless provider and other fees as noted in your Walgreens account agreement(s) still apply. *See Walgreens.com for details and restrictions.

About

CVS Health

Manage prescriptions, schedule health appointments, and shop for essentials. Access exclusive deals, track rewards, and get health advice. Offers photo printing and convenient in-store pickup.

Highlights
  • Prescription management and pickup
  • Schedule vaccines and clinic visits
  • Video chat with healthcare providers
  • Access ExtraCare deals and rewards
  • Order photo prints for pickup
  • View weekly ads and plan shopping
Features
Read full description

Staying healthy. Saving time. Spending less. The CVS Health® app makes them all easier. Here’s how: Checking out. Easier. • Save with ExtraCare® and pick up prescriptions with a single scan (just tap “In-Store”). Saving money. Easier. • Get app-only deals and access all of your offers and rewards when you link your ExtraCare® card. • Make sure you never miss a deal by opting in to notifications. Get prescription and order updates too. • Plan out your shopping and saving with the weekly ad for your local store. Getting prescriptions. Easier. • Scan your barcode for faster prescription pickup once you attach a payment and signature. • Pay for your medications and have them delivered. • Order refills, check their status and see your prescription history. • Check drug interactions and information. Caring for your health. Easier. • Schedule vaccines for you and your family at a nearby CVS Pharmacy® or MinuteClinic®. • Video chat with a health care provider 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. • Find a nearby MinuteClinic® for general care and clinical services. • View wait times and schedule a clinic visit (restrictions apply). • Check available health care services and insurance coverage. Your benefits. Easier. • Eligible Caremark members can now access their member ID card, plan spending info and select plan details. • Eligible Aetna members can access their member ID card. Printing photos. Easier. • Order prints and more from your device and online albums for same-day pickup (select stores and products). Privacy Policy: https://www.cvs.com/retail/help/privacy_policy WA Consumer Health Privacy Policy: https://www.cvs.com/retail/help/WA_consumer_health_privacy_policy Please note: Continued use of GPS running in background can decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Walgreens4 screens
CVS Health4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CVS Health at every 4 days against Walgreens's fortnightly. CVS Health also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Walgreens's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 43%) and ratings volume (7.3M vs 1.7M). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Walgreens against 4.7 for CVS Health. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.3M and 1.7M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Walgreens's written reviews are positive against 43% of CVS Health's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Walgreens ships an update fortnightly, CVS Health every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Walgreens versus CVS Health: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWalgreensCVS Health
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (7.3M ratings) — better4.7 (1.7M ratings)
Positive reviews60.3% of reviews — better43.5% of reviews
Number of ratings7.3M — better1.7M
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#3#2 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size213 MB1.0 GB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperWalgreen Co.CVS Pharmacy

Customer experience

Walgreens

All ratings7,334,737 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews5,858 reviews
Positive60.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative33.0%

CVS Health

All ratings1,712,873 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews6,926 reviews
Positive43.5%
Neutral8.5%
Negative48.1%

User reviews

Walgreens

From 7.3M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use app
  • 👍 Convenient pharmacy features
  • 👍 Great photo printing service
  • 👍 Helpful and friendly staff

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate
  • ⏱️ Slow performance
  • 🤔 Inconsistent user experience
  • 📦 Issues with online orders and deliveries

CVS Health

From 1.7M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient features
  • 💰 Good deals and savings
  • 🏥 Helpful pharmacy staff
  • 🌟 Overall positive experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App bugs and glitches
  • 🤖 Confusing and unintuitive app
  • 📞 Poor customer service and support
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding and applying coupons

Bugs and requests

Walgreens

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Coupon and rewards issues
  • Prescription refill requests not processed properly
  • Inconsistent app behavior across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add photo order status tracking
  • Improve prescription refill process
  • Provide more transparency on prescription availability
  • Allow saving of photo projects

CVS Health

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Prescription refill issues
  • Inconsistent order status updates
  • Payment and delivery problems
  • Syncing issues between app and pharmacy

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to cancel online orders
  • Streamlined prescription management
  • Automatic coupon application
  • Better integration between app and stores

In-app purchases

None

Walgreens

No in-app purchases

None

CVS Health

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Walgreens free?
Walgreens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CVS Health free?
CVS Health is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Walgreens or CVS Health?
Walgreens is rated higher. Walgreens averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.3M ratings, while CVS Health averages 4.7 from 1.7M ratings.
Do Walgreens or CVS Health have ads?
Both Walgreens and CVS Health show ads.
Which is updated more often, Walgreens or CVS Health?
Walgreens ships an update fortnightly, and CVS Health every 4 days. Most recently, Walgreens was updated on October 29, 2026 and CVS Health on October 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Walgreens or CVS Health?
Walgreens currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and CVS Health at #2. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons