# Epic Canto vs Read by QxMD

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Read by QxMD at 89% against Epic Canto's 9%. Read by QxMD also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.9) and ratings volume (6K vs 124). Epic Canto's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Read by QxMD holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Read by QxMD has 6K ratings behind it against 124, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of Epic Canto's written reviews are positive against 89% of Read by QxMD's.

Epic Canto ships an update every 3 weeks, Read by QxMD monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Epic Canto | Read by QxMD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.9 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epic-canto/id395395172/reviews) | **[4.8 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-by-qxmd/id574041839/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 124 | **6K** |
| Positive reviews | 8.9% of reviews | **89.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 559 MB | 205 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Epic](https://appshunter.io/developer/348308666) | [WebMD](https://appshunter.io/developer/295076332) |

## What reviewers say

### Epic Canto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/epic-canto/id395395172)

Securely access patient information, schedules, and notes from Epic's Electronic Health Record. Supports dictation and In Basket for authorized clinical users.

**Highlights:** Secure EHR access, Clinic schedules, Patient lists, Health summaries, Test results, Dictation support, In Basket access

**In-app purchases:** none


### Read by QxMD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-by-qxmd/id574041839)

Access and organize the latest medical research and topic reviews in a personalized digital journal. Stay updated with new scientific findings and easily retrieve full-text PDFs from PubMed and other sources.

**Highlights:** Personalized digital medical journal, Access latest medical research, Read topic reviews, Search PubMed, Full-text PDF access, Organize article collection

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient access to latest research
- 👍 Customizable journal and keyword tracking
- 🔒 Institutional access integration
- 💡 Convenient PDF downloads
- 👍 Helpful for staying up-to-date

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Institutional access issues
- 💻 Lack of desktop/web version
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 📤 Difficulty sharing articles

**Reported bugs**

- Login and authentication problems
- Inconsistent app performance after updates
- Inability to access full-text articles
- Syncing issues between devices
- Unreliable article refresh functionality

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to annotate and highlight PDFs
- Improved article organization and collections
- Integration with reference managers (e.g. Zotero, Mendeley)
- Enhanced search and filtering capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Epic Canto free?

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

### Is Read by QxMD free?

Read by QxMD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Epic Canto or Read by QxMD?

Read by QxMD is rated higher. Epic Canto averages 1.9 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while Read by QxMD averages 4.8 from 6K ratings.

### Do Epic Canto or Read by QxMD have ads?

Read by QxMD shows ads; Epic Canto does not.

### Which is updated more often, Epic Canto or Read by QxMD?

Epic Canto ships an update every 3 weeks, and Read by QxMD monthly. Most recently, Epic Canto was updated on October 24, 2026 and Read by QxMD on October 24, 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.*