# Drugs.com Medication Guide vs Mosby's Drug Reference

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Drugs.com Medication Guide at 87% against Mosby's Drug Reference's 32%. Drugs.com Medication Guide also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (16K vs 235). Mosby's Drug Reference's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drugs.com Medication Guide sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Mosby's Drug Reference sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $45.99 per year. 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 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drugs.com Medication Guide has 16K ratings behind it against 235, 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 32% of Mosby's Drug Reference's.

Drugs.com Medication Guide ships an update every 5 weeks, Mosby's Drug Reference every 9 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drugs.com Medication Guide | Mosby's Drug Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drugscom-medication-guide/id599471042/reviews)** | [4.6 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mosbys-drug-reference/id959042883/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | 235 |
| Positive reviews | **87.0% of reviews** | 31.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Drugs.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/389479628) | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) |

## What reviewers say

### Drugs.com Medication Guide

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

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


### Mosby's Drug Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mosbys-drug-reference/id959042883)

This app provides healthcare professionals with comprehensive drug information, including actions, usage, dosage, interactions, and side effects. It emphasizes patient safety with Black Box Warnings, Safety Alerts, and information on life-threatening side effects. Features include custom notes, highlights, and quick search functionality.

**Highlights:** Over 5,000 drug listings, Black Box Warnings and Safety Alerts, Drug action, usage, dosage, interactions, side effects, Custom notes and highlights, Full text search, Appendix of recent FDA-approvals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mosby's Drug Reference | $45.99 | 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 Mosby's Drug Reference free?

Mosby's Drug Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drugs.com Medication Guide or Mosby's Drug Reference?

Drugs.com Medication Guide is rated higher. Drugs.com Medication Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Mosby's Drug Reference averages 4.6 from 235 ratings.

### Do Drugs.com Medication Guide or Mosby's Drug Reference have ads?

Drugs.com Medication Guide shows ads; Mosby's Drug Reference does not.

### Which is updated more often, Drugs.com Medication Guide or Mosby's Drug Reference?

Drugs.com Medication Guide ships an update every 5 weeks, and Mosby's Drug Reference every 9 months. Most recently, Drugs.com Medication Guide was updated on September 24, 2026 and Mosby's Drug Reference on September 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*