Comparison

Read by QxMD vs Oxford Foundation Programme

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Personalized digital medical journal
  • Access latest medical research
  • Read topic reviews
  • Search PubMed
  • Full-text PDF access
  • Organize article collection
Features
Read full description

'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.

About

Oxford Foundation Programme

Read full description

Start your medical career with confidence using the Oxford Handbook for the Foundation Programme app. Designed for students and newly graduated physicians, this app delivers practical, evidence-based guidance on both patient care and professional responsibilities, helping you thrive in your first clinical rotations. The Oxford Handbook for the Foundation Programme features: * Comprehensive Clinical Guidance: Access the most current clinical guidelines and protocols, fully updated to reflect the latest standards and curriculum changes. * Key Areas Covered: Includes essential topics and major specialties such as cardiology, respiratory medicine, gastroenterology, neurology, psychiatry, hematology, dermatology, surgery, emergency medicine, and primary care. * New Topics: Explore expanded content on primary care and end-of-life care, plus updated sections on infection control, obstetrics & gynecology, and surgery. * Practical Tools: From interpreting results to performing essential procedures, get step-by-step instructions and practical tips for everyday clinical tasks. * Career Support: Learn how to plan your career progression, and choose your speciality with confidence. * Expert Insights: Benefit from the combined knowledge of senior clinicians and junior doctors who’ve been through the process. * Easy Reference: Search, bookmark, and access content offline—perfect for busy hospital shifts and on-the-go learning. Unbound Medicine Features: * Highlighting and note-taking within entries * Favorites for bookmarking important topics * Enhanced Search to find topics quickly More about the Oxford Handbook for the Foundation Programme: Part of the world-renowned Oxford Medical Handbooks series, this trusted reference provides early-career physicians with practical, evidence-based guidance for safe, effective patient care, offering clarity and confidence from day one. Authors: Tim Raine Consultant Gastroenterologist Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK George Collins Cardiology Registrar Barts Health NHS Trust, UK Fraser Brown Internal Medical Trainee Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK Sophie Howarth Internal Medicine Trainee Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK Publisher: Oxford University Press Powered by: Unbound Medicine

Screenshots

Read by QxMD4 screens
Oxford Foundation Programme4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Read by QxMD at none against Oxford Foundation Programme's 1. Oxford Foundation Programme's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and update cadence 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. Oxford Foundation Programme sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Read by QxMD asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Read by QxMD ships an update monthly, Oxford Foundation Programme every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Read by QxMD versus Oxford Foundation Programme: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRead by QxMDOxford Foundation Programme
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews89.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6K — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size205 MB14 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperWebMDUnbound Medicine, Inc.

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 more
  • Offline access to saved articles

Oxford Foundation Programme

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Read by QxMD

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Oxford Foundation Programme

One-time1
  • Oxford Foundation Program$49.99

Questions

Is Read by QxMD free?
Read by QxMD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Oxford Foundation Programme free?
Oxford Foundation Programme is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Read by QxMD or Oxford Foundation Programme have ads?
Read by QxMD shows ads; Oxford Foundation Programme does not.
Which is updated more often, Read by QxMD or Oxford Foundation Programme?
Read by QxMD ships an update monthly, and Oxford Foundation Programme every 2 months. Most recently, Read by QxMD was updated on October 29, 2026 and Oxford Foundation Programme on October 24, 2026.

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