Comparison

CDC vs NIH

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

Head to head
About

CDC

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
Read full description

Get the official CDC Mobile application to access the most up to date health information. FILTERING OPTIONS Organize your home screen so that the information that’s most important to you appears first! Turn off the content you don’t want with just a flip of a switch and reset it all with the tap of a button. CONTENT The app ensures that you’re getting the most up to date health information. The home screen lets you see all your information in one place and updates whenever your device is connected to WI-FI. Enjoy a greater variety of content such as Image of the Week, disease case counts, videos, and podcasts to give you the most current health information from CDC. Browse the latest articles, stay on top of health news in the Newsroom section, and view CDC Images of the Week. If you’re a journal reader, view the latest Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, Emerging and Infectious Disease journal, or the latest on Preventing Chronic Diseases. You can even search CDC’s web content from the app. We'd love to hear your thoughts about the app! Rate the CDC Mobile App in the App Store or leave a comment to let us know how we're doing. You can even send us an email through the app if you have suggestions for improvements! DISCLAIMER THE MATERIALS EMBODIED IN THIS SOFTWARE ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) OR THE UNITED STATES (U.S.) GOVERNMENT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFIT, LOSS OF USE, SAVINGS OR REVENUE, OR THE CLAIMS OF THIRD PARTIES, WHETHER OR NOT CDC OR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS, HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE POSSESSION, USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

About

NIH

Features
Read full description

If you or someone you care about has Diabetes, this app will come in handy. Large glossary, containing hundreds of words and medical terminology, important for people with Diabetes. All information is from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Screenshots

CDC4 screens
NIH3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: CDC at none against NIH's shown. CDC also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). NIH's advantage is iOS requirement (13.1 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CDC ships an update monthly, NIH every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CDC versus NIH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCDCNIH
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (413 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews22.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings413 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB42 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCenters For Disease Control and PreventionIncelligence, Inc.

Bugs and requests

CDC

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

NIH

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CDC

No in-app purchases

None

NIH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CDC free?
CDC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NIH free?
NIH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CDC or NIH have ads?
NIH shows ads; CDC does not.
Which is updated more often, CDC or NIH?
CDC ships an update monthly, and NIH every 3 months. Most recently, CDC was updated on October 22, 2026 and NIH on October 5, 2026.