# CDC vs COVID

The clearest difference is rating: COVID at 3.2 against CDC's 2.9. COVID also leads on iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.6). CDC's advantage is ratings volume (413 vs 83). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

COVID holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 413 and 83 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of CDC's written reviews are positive against 15% of COVID's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and June 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CDC | COVID |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (413 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cdc/id487847188/reviews) | **[3.2 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/covid-19-ehs/id1504980550/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **413** | 83 |
| Positive reviews | **22.5% of reviews** | 15.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 38 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Centers For Disease Control and Prevention](https://appshunter.io/developer/439259253) | [EMIRATES HEALTH SERVICES ESTABLISHMENT](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583918246) |

## What reviewers say

### CDC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cdc/id487847188)

Access the latest health information and news directly from the official source. Organize your home screen to prioritize what matters most and receive real-time updates. Explore a variety of content including disease data, videos, podcasts, and journal articles.

**Highlights:** Up-to-date health information, Customizable home screen, Disease case counts, Videos and podcasts, Journal articles, Searchable web content

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Informative and reliable health information
- 🚀 Easy to navigate and access data
- 👍 Useful for public health professionals and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⚠️ Outdated or inaccurate information, especially regarding COVID-19
- 🔒 Privacy and security concerns
- 👎 Lack of trust in the CDC due to political influence

**Reported bugs**

- Links within articles not working
- App freezing or not loading past the splash screen
- Symptom checker and other features not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Improved contact tracing tools
- More up-to-date and comprehensive disease data
- Better integration with other health apps and platforms
- Landscape mode support for tablets


### COVID

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/covid-19-ehs/id1504980550)

Access real-time COVID-19 statistics for the UAE and book appointments for PCR tests and vaccinations. Receive an official digital vaccine card and request home vaccination services for senior citizens.

**Highlights:** Real-time COVID-19 stats UAE, Book COVID-19 vaccine appointments, Book PCR test appointments, Official digital vaccine card, Home vaccine requests for seniors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CDC free?

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

### Is COVID free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CDC or COVID?

COVID is rated higher. CDC averages 2.9 out of 5 from 413 ratings, while COVID averages 3.2 from 83 ratings.

### Do CDC or COVID have ads?

Neither CDC nor COVID shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CDC or COVID?

CDC ships an update monthly, and COVID monthly. Most recently, CDC was updated on September 15, 2026 and COVID on June 11, 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.*