Comparison

TOXBASE vs The BMJ

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

Head to head
About

TOXBASE

This clinical toxicology database offers healthcare professionals comprehensive advice on poisoning features and management. It provides detailed information on various toxins and clear, evidence-based treatment guidance. The app is designed for quick reference and can be used offline.

Highlights
  • Detailed poisons information
  • Traffic light triaging system
  • Point-by-point treatment advice
  • Evidence-based and peer-reviewed
  • Offline database access
  • 24/7 updated information
Read full description

TOXBASE® is the clinical toxicology database of the UK National Poisons Information Service, providing advice on the features and management of poisoning. Monographs are designed to be used by healthcare professionals involved in the management of poisoned patients. TOXBASE is freely available for users who are able to register using an NHS, MOD, ac.uk or UKHSA domain email address. If your domain is not accepted contact mail@toxbase.org for assistance and information. Key application features * detailed poisons information on industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, household products, plants and animal toxins * easy to follow traffic light system for triaging poisoned patients * point by point treatment advice which is clear and concise, evidence-based, peer-reviewed and updated 24/7 * no internet connection is required to search the database (although internet connection may be required to access all information on some entries) How the app works After download, users complete a registration form and receive an email containing a verification link. Once verified users will be able to use their login for the TOXBASE app and also for TOXBASE online at www.toxbase.org Account renewal is required annually. Disclaimer The information on the TOXBASE App is designed for healthcare professionals and requires expert clinical interpretation. Users are strongly advised to always discuss cases with their local experts in poisons management and should not solely rely on the App to make medical decisions. Users are required to accept our End User License Agreement before using the app. All material on TOXBASE is subject to UK Crown copyright protection.

About

The BMJ

Access a leading general medical journal for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Stay updated with practice-changing research, expert columns, and embedded video content. Enjoy offline access to downloaded issues and earn CME points.

Highlights
  • Read leading medical research
  • Apply practice-changing takeaways
  • Access trusted, data-supported news
  • Offline access to downloaded issues
  • Earn CME points
  • Read ahead of print
  • Embedded video content
Features
Read full description

Online, The BMJ is one of the world’s leading general medical journals for researchers, educators, clinicians and policy-makers. The BMJ is the house journal of British medicine, owned by Britain’s doctors. The BMJ app lets you - read what the world's leading doctors read - apply practice-changing takeaways - trust news supported by data - advance your career - read columnists who get what it means to do your job - search downloaded issues - read ahead of print The BMJ app brings you the latest weekly issue including: - Offline access: handy for planes, trains and automobiles, or wherever there’s no wi-fi - Selected news articles and columnists - Education articles, CME points - Research articles and reviews - Search through downloaded issues - Video content embedded - FREE TO BMA MEMBERS AND PERSONAL SUBSCRIBERS Use your BMA membership credentials, or personal subscriber details to log in Not a BMA member or personal subscriber? Then subscribe to The BMJ for £10.49 a month, where the first month is free. You’ll get instant access to every issue published since January 2017! Purchasing a subscription to The BMJ app at a cost of £10.49 a month will give you access to all the app editions of The BMJ. A monthly purchase will be applied to your iTunes account at the end of the first month trial. Subscriptions will automatically renew at a cost of £10.49 a month unless cancelled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime or turn off auto-renew with your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. For more information, see our terms and conditions https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj-website-terms-and-conditions-0 and privacy policy https://www.bmj.com/company/your-privacy/. If you experience any problems, please email customer support on support@bmj.com

Screenshots

TOXBASE4 screens
The BMJ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The BMJ at 4.2 against TOXBASE's 1.0. The BMJ also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 21%) and ratings volume (13 vs 1). TOXBASE's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. TOXBASE sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The BMJ sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The BMJ holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The BMJ has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of TOXBASE's written reviews are positive against 57% of The BMJ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TOXBASE versus The BMJ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTOXBASEThe BMJ
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.2 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.5% of reviews57.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings113 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.514.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size413 MB241 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperNHS LothianBMJ Group

Customer experience

TOXBASE

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive20.5%
Neutral2.6%
Negative76.9%

The BMJ

All ratings13 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral7.9%
Negative34.9%

Bugs and requests

TOXBASE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

The BMJ

Reported bugs

38 issues
  • App won’t open on iPhone
  • App always asks to restore purchase
  • Account does not exist
  • Often doesn’t allow access to most recent edition
  • Poor updating of editions
Show 33 more
  • Does not come up quickly
  • Poor access
  • Often doesn’t work
  • Not up to date
  • Can’t link to previous articles
  • Links open in app instead of browser
  • Can’t get back to menu
  • No way back to contents page
  • Only way out is to force quit
  • Freezes after one article
  • No obvious back button
  • Can’t access app despite paying
  • Links open in app instead of browser
  • No browser functionality
  • Rotation bug
  • Requires quitting app every time
  • Not working with BMA sign in
  • New BMJs do not download
  • Journals not added promptly
  • Slow to update issues
  • Never seems to update well
  • Not working at all since updated
  • User unfriendly now
  • Unable to download new issue
  • Get into older ones
  • Downloading system hit and miss
  • Syncing issues
  • No longer receiving new issues
  • Screen goes white repeatedly
  • Loses place
  • Resets to top of article
  • Incompatible with Safari
  • No direct way of opening articles in any browser

Requested features

10 requests
  • Copy figures and tables to more apps directly
  • Copy figures and tables to more apps directly eg Twitter lectures etc
  • Would be nice to be able to export text/tables/flow charts with a click
  • Would like a bit less subscription payment
  • Please see title! (Dark mode)
Show 5 more
  • Please fix rotation bug
  • Could integrate with BMJ learning
  • Get with the times
  • If developers could fix this it would certainly be a 5 star app
  • If they add a direct share button I'll give it 5 ✳️✳️✳️✳️✳️

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TOXBASE

One-time1
  • 1 year subscription$6.99
1 purchases

The BMJ

Subscriptions1
  • The BMJ (1 month)1 Month trial$11.491 Month

Questions

Is TOXBASE free?
TOXBASE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is The BMJ free?
The BMJ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TOXBASE or The BMJ?
The BMJ is rated higher. TOXBASE averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while The BMJ averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.
Do TOXBASE or The BMJ have ads?
Neither TOXBASE nor The BMJ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TOXBASE or The BMJ?
TOXBASE ships an update every 6 months, and The BMJ every 6 months. Most recently, TOXBASE was updated on September 26, 2026 and The BMJ on September 26, 2026.

Other comparisons