Comparison

Osmosis vs USMLE

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

Head to head
About

Osmosis

This app helps medical students learn complex concepts faster and retain more information. It offers animated videos, flashcards, notes, and board-style questions to prepare for exams and build clinical skills.

Highlights
  • Animated medical videos
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Board-style practice questions
  • Downloadable notes and videos
  • Clinical decision-making trees
  • Cross-platform syncing
Currently charting
Read full description

Struggling to understand medical concepts or prepare for the USMLE? Osmosis is the medical exam study app designed to help med students learn medicine faster, improve information retention and pass medical board exams with flying colours. Trusted by 8,000,000+ medical, nursing, PA, pharmacy and dental students, this medical learning app turns downtime into productive study time with an expansive library of medical videos, flashcards, quizzes, exam-style questions and more. Instead of memorizing isolated facts, Osmosis helps you learn how medical concepts connect - so that you can retain more information, study smarter and apply what you learn to exams and in clinical practice. And now, you can ask Osmosis AI for instant, evidence-based answers grounded in Elsevier medical textbooks and linked to Osmosis videos. Generate flashcards, quizzes, summaries and mnemonics on demand with AI so you never have to second-guess your source. EXAM PREP FOR EVERY US MEDICAL LICENSING EXAM • USMLE Step 1 & Step 2 • COMLEX-USA Level 1 & Level 2 • NCLEX-RN & NCLEX-PN • PANCE • ABFM / ABIM • UKMLA (UK) With Osmosis, everything in your medical studies connects so nothing gets lost. Flashcards, videos and notes work together to make every study session stress free and every exam prep hour more productive. Ready to learn smarter? DOWNLOAD today to start your FREE 7-DAY TRIAL. STUDY ANYWHERE, ANYTIME Download medical videos and exam questions for offline study on the commute, before rounds or between clinics. Sync across iPhone, iPad and web so you can learn wherever you are. WHY CHOOSE OSMOSIS? • 1000s of concise medical videos that simplify complex medical concepts and support visual learning • Medical flashcards that help you learn and retain key concepts, with concise explanations reviewed by medical experts • A custom quiz builder that transforms your study time so you can master medical material and ace your exams • Board-style practice exam questions with detailed explanations • 450+ high-yield summary notes with key points and diagrams from videos • Printable clinical decision-making trees to learn on the go • Spaced repetition guides what medical concepts to study next, focusing you on the areas where you need it the most YOUR ALL-IN-ONE MEDICAL LEARNING TOOLKIT From concept mastery to clinical reasoning, Osmosis turns complex medical material into clear, digestible learning experiences so that you can study with confidence and pass exams first time, every time. LEARN SMARTER Our videos and High-Yield medical study notes condense everything you need to learn and nothing you don't. Study efficiently and retain the medical knowledge that matters most for board exams and clinical practice. GET A PERSONALIZED, FLEXIBLE STUDY PLAN IN MINUTES Choose your learning goals and set your study hours, Osmosis handles the rest. Your daily study checklist shows which videos, exam questions and topics to learn each day. Add custom tasks like homework, practice exams and reminders to keep your medical studies on track. FOLLOW OSMOSIS ON SOCIAL: YouTube: youtube.com/osmosis TikTok: @learnbyosmosis Instagram: @osmosismed Facebook: @OsmoseIt X: twitter.com/OsmosisMed Bluesky: @osmosismed.bsky.social DOWNLOAD and start your FREE 7-DAY TRIAL today! Subscriptions are charged annually & automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before end of the current period. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Your iTunes Account will be charged the current annual subscription cost each year for renewal within 24-hours prior to end of current period. You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your iTunes Account Settings any time after purchase. Any free trial will be interrupted when a paid subscription is purchased. Terms: www.osmosis.org/terms Privacy policy: www.osmosis.org/privacy Contact support@osmosis.org with any account/purchase queries.

About

USMLE

Master medical school and the USMLE with a comprehensive resource app. Access board-style questions, interactive learning modules, flashcards, and videos. Study anytime, anywhere with cloud syncing and personalized study tools.

Highlights
  • Thousands of USMLE board-style questions
  • Nearly 800 eLearning modules
  • Over 14,000 flashcards
  • Over 80 hours of high-yield videos
  • Cloud syncing across devices
  • Spaced repetition study tool
Read full description

USMLE-Rx (by ScholarRx) Ready to own the USMLE and master medical school? Now you can access any high-yield USMLE-Rx tool in one great app!* Get on-the-go access to USMLE board-style questions, Rx Bricks, flash cards, and videos. Qmax: Study anytime, anywhere with your USMLE-Rx Qmax Subscription: · Thousands of high-yield Step 1 questions, images, and explanations · All your tests sync to the cloud for immediate access on any device · Quiz yourself in multiple test modes with different question types · Get detailed performance stats Rx Bricks · Nearly 800 high-yield, patient-centered eLearning modules · “Need-to-know” topics succinctly explained with simple "clear language" explanations, often in under 20 minutes · Clinical correlations, real-world stories, memorable mnemonics, and more · Assess your understanding with measurable objectives, interactive flashcards, and practice questions built into each module Flash Facts Learning is literally at your fingertips with Step 1 Flash Facts: · Over 14,000 flash cards help you nail USMLE Step 1 content quickly and efficiently · Case-based flash cards put basic science concepts in a clinical context · Study Stream uses spaced repetition to give you flash cards based on your own study schedule as well as your strengths and weaknesses · Daily reporting helps you track your progress · All your cards and progress sync to the cloud for immediate access on any connected device · Searchable by organ system, discipline, and topic Express Videos · Over 80 hours of high-yield videos, over 1,300 videos in all · 600+ images, helpful diagrams, and multimedia clips · Integrations across multiple topics form strong, lasting connections to help you in class and on test day *Requires a valid subscription to Rx360+, USMLE-Rx Step 1 Qmax or Step 2CK Qmax, Rx Bricks, Step 1 Flash Facts, and/or Express Videos. Terms and Conditions: https://www.usmle-rx.com/terms-and-conditions/ Privacy Policy: https://www.usmle-rx.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Osmosis4 screens
USMLE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Osmosis at #71 against USMLE's unranked. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Osmosis sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $16.99 per month and USMLE sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Osmosis against 4.7 for USMLE. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 47% of Osmosis's written reviews are positive against 49% of USMLE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Osmosis ships an update monthly, USMLE every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Osmosis versus USMLE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOsmosisUSMLE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.9K ratings) — better4.7 (5K ratings)
Positive reviews47.4% of reviews48.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.9K5K — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#71 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB40 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperKnowledge DiffusionMedIQ Learning, LLC

Customer experience

Osmosis

All ratings3,884 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews234 reviews
Positive47.4%
Neutral15.8%
Negative36.8%

USMLE

All ratings5,006 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral2.5%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive48.9%
Neutral17.0%
Negative34.1%

Bugs and requests

Osmosis

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Verification email never sent
  • Videos won't play or keep restarting
  • Inability to access high-yield notes on app
  • Flashcards and quizzes not working properly
  • App getting stuck on loading/login screens

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add speech pathology to the platform
  • Provide Arabic subtitles for videos
  • Implement split-screen functionality
  • Allow editing of flashcards on mobile
  • Improve search and playlist features

USMLE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Osmosis

Subscriptions10
  • Osmosis Full Access Monthly$16.991 Month
  • Osmosis Suite Access Monthly$49.001 Month
  • Clinical Science 6 Month$129.006 Months
Show 7 more
  • Osmosis Suite Access 3 Month$149.003 Months
  • Basic Sciences Access 6 Month$179.006 Months
  • Osmosis Full Access 6 Month$179.996 Months
  • Osmosis Full Access Yearly$199.991 Year
  • Basic Sciences Access Yearly$199.991 Year
  • Osmosis Suite Access 6 Month$229.006 Months
  • Osmosis Suite Access Yearly$249.001 Year
1 purchases

USMLE

Subscriptions1
  • RX360+$49.991 Month

Questions

Is Osmosis free?
Osmosis is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is USMLE free?
USMLE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Osmosis or USMLE?
Osmosis is rated higher. Osmosis averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while USMLE averages 4.7 from 5K ratings.
Do Osmosis or USMLE have ads?
Neither Osmosis nor USMLE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Osmosis or USMLE?
Osmosis ships an update monthly, and USMLE every 6 weeks. Most recently, Osmosis was updated on November 10, 2026 and USMLE on November 11, 2026.

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