# Walgreens vs CVS Health

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.

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

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Walgreens | CVS Health |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.3M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/walgreens/id335364882/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.7M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cvs-health/id395545555/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3M** | 1.7M |
| Positive reviews | **60.3% of reviews** | 43.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | #3 | **#2** |
| Size | 213 MB | 1.0 GB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Walgreen Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/335364885) | [CVS Pharmacy](https://appshunter.io/developer/395545558) |

## What reviewers say

### Walgreens

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/walgreens/id335364882)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Free · Medical, #188 Top Free (US App Store)

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:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### CVS Health

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cvs-health/id395545555)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · Medical, #83 Top Free (US App Store)

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:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*