# Drugs.com Medication Guide vs MD Reference

The clearest difference is rating: Drugs.com Medication Guide at 4.8 against MD Reference's 3.0. Drugs.com Medication Guide also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 50%) and ratings volume (16K vs 2). MD Reference's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drugs.com Medication Guide sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and MD Reference sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drugs.com Medication Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drugs.com Medication Guide has 16K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Drugs.com Medication Guide's written reviews are positive against 50% of MD Reference's.

Drugs.com Medication Guide ships an update every 5 weeks, MD Reference every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drugs.com Medication Guide | MD Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drugscom-medication-guide/id599471042/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/md-reference/id1509330680/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **87.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Drugs.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/389479628) | [Uptodate In Medicine MMC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1428873400) |

## What reviewers say

### Drugs.com Medication Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drugscom-medication-guide/id599471042)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Free · Medical (US App Store)

Access comprehensive information on over 24,000 medications, including prescription drugs, OTCs, and natural products. Manage your medications, check for interactions, identify pills, and find the lowest prices. Stay informed with FDA alerts and detailed side effect information.

**Highlights:** Medication list with interaction tracking, Drug price comparison and pharmacy finder, Pill identification by imprint, color, and shape, Drug interaction checker, Side effects and dosage information, FDA alerts and recalls

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads for 3 months | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads for 1 year | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent app
- 🚀 Very useful and informative
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 📚 Comprehensive drug information
- 🔍 Helpful pill identifier

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 💰 Ads or paid features
- 🌍 Limited support for non-US medications

**Reported bugs**

- Registration process issues
- Inconsistent search results

**Requested features**

- Ability to easily add/remove medications
- More detailed medication profiles
- Improved international drug coverage


### MD Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/md-reference/id1509330680)

This medical reference app aims to improve healthcare quality by providing medical professionals with updated knowledge and modern technologies. It helps practitioners stay informed about advancements and apply them in their practice. The service operates on a subscription basis with various plans available.

**Highlights:** Enhances medical knowledge, Keeps users updated on new technologies, Facilitates practical application of knowledge, Subscription-based access, Personalized user accounts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| 3 months subscription | $8.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 months subscription | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| 12 months subscription | $23.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drugs.com Medication Guide free?

Drugs.com Medication Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MD Reference free?

MD Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drugs.com Medication Guide or MD Reference?

Drugs.com Medication Guide is rated higher. Drugs.com Medication Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while MD Reference averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Drugs.com Medication Guide or MD Reference have ads?

Both Drugs.com Medication Guide and MD Reference show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drugs.com Medication Guide or MD Reference?

Drugs.com Medication Guide ships an update every 5 weeks, and MD Reference every 4 months. Most recently, Drugs.com Medication Guide was updated on October 14, 2026 and MD Reference on October 4, 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.*