Read by QxMD vs ClinicalKey
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Read by QxMD
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.
- Personalized digital medical journal
- Access latest medical research
- Read topic reviews
- Search PubMed
- Full-text PDF access
- Organize article collection
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'Read by QxMD' provides a single place to keep up with new medical & scientific research, read outstanding topic reviews and search PubMed. This iPhone & iPad app provides a simple interface that drives discovery and seamless access to the medical literature by reformatting it into a personalized digital journal. Praise for Read: 5 stars: "Stellar. The future of medical literature review... This could be the best application to stay up-to-date in medicine since, well, UpToDate." - User Review 4¾ stars: "The Flipboard for medical journals has arrived" and among "...the most innovative medical apps" - iMedicalApps.com On Apple's 'What's Hot' list in >60 countries, as well as Medical Essentials & Apps for Healthcare Professionals. Featured in Apple iBook: "iOS in Healthcare: Revolutionizing Healthcare Productivity" Features: - Get full text PDFs with one tap - Keep up with the latest new research that will impact your practice - Browse through 1000s of outstanding topic reviews - Search millions of articles from PubMed and our database of outstanding topic reviews - Read your favorite journals or browse article collections. - Access full text through your university/institutional subscription or via open access publishers - Share articles with colleagues over email, Twitter and Facebook - Organize and review your personal collection of articles Why did we build 'Read by QxMD'? Health care professionals need to stay up to date on the latest medical research and topic reviews to provide optimal care. Unfortunately, the process of content discovery is broken with research artificially compartmentalized by publishers and hidden behind countless institutional pay walls. At QxMD, we believe that knowledge translation– the process by which new knowledge is incorporated into clinical practice – is an important and unsolved challenge for our health care system. We hope that ‘Read by QxMD’ will be a part of the solution. Seamless 1-tap access available at thousands of institutions. Sources: From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Founded by medical professionals, QxMD is dedicated to creating high quality point-of-care tools for practicing health care professionals.
ClinicalKey
This app provides medical professionals with instant access to a vast library of clinical knowledge, including synoptic content and in-depth reference materials. It helps users stay updated on medical advancements, confirm diagnoses, and advance their research skills, all while offering CME/MOC/CE credits.
- Access to 30+ medical specialties
- Synoptic content for quick answers
- Full-text reference books and journals
- Mobile-optimized medical calculators
- Earn CME/MOC/CE credits
- Intuitive search functionality
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INSTITUTIONAL SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED. Access the latest advances in clinical knowledge anytime, anywhere with ClinicalKey®- the essential resource for medical professionals. ClinicalKey combines the speed of synoptic content with the depth of a comprehensive clinical reference tool in one intuitive solution to provide clinicians trusted information in the moments that matter most. With ClinicalKey, you can: • Stay abreast of rapidly expanding clinical knowledge • Quickly confirm diagnosis and treatment information • Advance critical thinking skills and research Please note: To access our extensive content library, ensure you have a subscription to ClinicalKey from your organization. To get started: 1. Download the free ClinicalKey app for iOS on your iPad® or iPhone®. 2. Follow the prompts to connect to your organization’s account.The app will ask questions to get you to the right content. 3. Choose the method of access that is right for you: 4. Select Access via Network if you need a quick answer and your device is connected to your organization's network. 5. Select Access via Institution for other ways to connect. 6. Once you have gained access, create or sign- in to your Elsevier ClinicalKey user account to save favorites and earn CME/MOC/CE/MOC/CE. ClinicalKey® Because you want to find a better way to help your patients ClinicalKey combines the speed of synoptic content with the depth of a comprehensive clinical reference tool in one intuitive solution to give clinicians trusted information in the moments that matter. With the ClinicalKey, clinicians will be able to: • Enhance patient care with trusted resources and deep insights across 30+ specialties • Combine efficiency and confidence in your practice with access to quick answers and information that is continuously updated • Excel in your field by building foundational knowledge and keeping up with the latest trends through full-text reference books and journals, while earning free CME/MOC/CE credit • Stay abreast of rapidly expanding clinical knowledge • Quickly confirm diagnosis and treatment information • Advance critical thinking skills and research ClinicalKey App for iOS Features: • Trusted Comprehensive content covering more than 30 medical and surgical specialties • Easy-to-scan, clinically focused medical topic synopses • Intuitive search with auto-suggest/ • Easy search with auto-completion • Direct navigation to your favorite books and journals • Mobile-optimized medical calculators • Access to full-text books, full-text journals, guidelines, multimedia and more • Access via Institutional IP; individuals will not be able to earn CME/MOC/CE, save, or share content when using IP authentication. Please register for remote access via your institutional web version of ClinicalKey. ClinicalKey Registrants (non-IP) customers will enjoy: • Opportunity to earn CME and fulfill MOC requirements with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) • Ability to favorite and save content • Option to print and email topics, videos or graphics • Earn and track free CME/MOC/CE credit Ability to favorite and save content Print and email topics, videos or graphics to patients and colleagues iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the US and other countries.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Read by QxMD at 89% against ClinicalKey's 9%. Read by QxMD also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). ClinicalKey's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Read by QxMD ships an update monthly, ClinicalKey every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Read by QxMD | ClinicalKey |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (6K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.0% of reviews — better | 8.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 205 MB | 68 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | +12 |
| Developer | WebMD | Elsevier Inc. |
Customer experience
Read by QxMD
ClinicalKey
User reviews
Read by QxMD
From 6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Efficient access to latest research
- 👍 Customizable journal and keyword tracking
- 🔒 Institutional access integration
- 💡 Convenient PDF downloads
- 👍 Helpful for staying up-to-date
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Institutional access issues
- 💻 Lack of desktop/web version
- 🔍 Limited search and filtering options
- 📤 Difficulty sharing articles
ClinicalKey
From App Store reviewsWhat we love
- 📚 High-quality, evidence-based clinical content
- 🎯 Intuitive interface and quick reference format
- 🔍 Similar functionality to website version
- 👍 Browse feature restoration appreciated by users
Room to improve
- 🔓 Constant forced logout issues
- 🔐 Institutional login authentication failures
- ⏳ App freezes and perpetual loading screens
- 🚫 Missing textbook access in app vs website
- 📵 Frequent crashes and force closures
Bugs and requests
Read by QxMD
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
6 requests- 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
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Offline access to saved articles
ClinicalKey
Reported bugs
14 issues- App stuck on loading screen after initial login
- Forced logout when closing or minimizing app
- Institutional login not working despite web access
- App crashes during search queries
- OpenAthens authentication failures
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Network change warnings appearing incorrectly
- Search results returning unrelated content
- Textbook search not finding available books
- App won't load after recent updates
- Blank search results for valid queries
- Scrolling in table of contents sidebar not functioning
- Landscape orientation not supported
- App doesn't remember page position when reopened
- Restricted access to books after updates
Requested features
10 requests- PDF download capability within the app
- Favorite/bookmark textbooks and articles
- Landscape mode support for iPad
- Find-on-page text search function
- Automatic session persistence and page memory
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Text size and screen color customization
- Fingerprint/passcode login option
- Browse feature with category filtering
- Offline access to downloaded materials
- Feature parity with website version
In-app purchases
Read by QxMD
No in-app purchases
ClinicalKey
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Read by QxMD free?
Is ClinicalKey free?
Do Read by QxMD or ClinicalKey have ads?
Which is updated more often, Read by QxMD or ClinicalKey?
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