# Pocket Pharmacist vs PTCB

The clearest difference is monetization model: PTCB at free with in-app purchases against Pocket Pharmacist's subscription. PTCB also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Pocket Pharmacist's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 45%) and chart position (#159 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Pharmacist sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and PTCB sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Pocket Pharmacist against 4.7 for PTCB. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Pharmacist has 3.9K ratings behind it against 557, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Pocket Pharmacist's written reviews are positive against 45% of PTCB's.

Pocket Pharmacist ships an update every 2 months, PTCB every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Pharmacist | PTCB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-pharmacist/id387365379/reviews) | [4.7 (557 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ptcb/id1558309982/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 557 |
| Positive reviews | **77.0% of reviews** | 45.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#159** | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Danike, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/387365382) | [MastrAPI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618627725) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Pharmacist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-pharmacist/id387365379)

**Currently charting:** #159 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

Access comprehensive drug information curated by pharmacists, check for drug interactions, and test your knowledge with quizzes. Organize your medications and impress your medical team with neat printouts.

**Highlights:** Pharmacist-curated drug summaries, Unbiased drug information, Fast drug search (offline), Drug interaction checker, Medication quizzes, Medication organizer, Printable medication summaries

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Pharmacist Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Pocket Pharmacist Yearly | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient for keeping track of medications
- 🚀 Quick and easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for healthcare professionals
- 🔍 Comprehensive drug information
- ⭐️ Excellent app overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model frustrates existing users
- 🇨🇦 Limited coverage for non-US drugs
- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and access
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription screen appears unexpectedly
- Unable to access or delete personal information
- Interaction checker not working properly

**Requested features**

- Add medication reminders
- Include over-the-counter medications
- Improve sync functionality between devices
- Provide more customization options


### PTCB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ptcb/id1558309982)

Prepare for your Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam with a personalized study plan. Practice with over 500 questions covering key knowledge domains and track your progress with detailed statistics. Boost your confidence to pass the exam on your first attempt.

**Highlights:** Personalized study plan, 500+ practice questions, Track strengths and weaknesses, Detailed test statistics, Compare scores to community average, Covers key pharmacy knowledge domains

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PTCB Pharmacy Technician | $24.99 | per month |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Detailed explanations for answers
- 👍 Helps users learn material
- 👍 Organizes study material
- 👍 Engaging and motivating study tool
- 👍 Good for test preparation

**What reviewers complain about**

-  repetitive questions
-  repetitive questions
-  repetitive questions
-  repetitive questions
-  poorly formatted math explanations

**Reported bugs**

- App does not update questions
- App does not work after purchase
- Charged for free trial

**Requested features**

- Update app questions regularly
- Improve formatting of math explanations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Pharmacist free?

Pocket Pharmacist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PTCB free?

PTCB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Pharmacist or PTCB?

Pocket Pharmacist and PTCB are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3.9K and 557 ratings respectively.

### Do Pocket Pharmacist or PTCB have ads?

Neither Pocket Pharmacist nor PTCB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Pharmacist or PTCB?

Pocket Pharmacist ships an update every 2 months, and PTCB every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pocket Pharmacist was updated on September 23, 2026 and PTCB on September 17, 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.*