# Pharmaceutical Journal vs The BMJ

The clearest difference is rating: The BMJ at 4.2 against Pharmaceutical Journal's 1.0. The BMJ also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 19%) and ratings volume (13 vs 1). Pharmaceutical Journal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The BMJ sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.49 per month. Pharmaceutical Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.

The BMJ holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The BMJ has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of Pharmaceutical Journal's written reviews are positive against 57% of The BMJ's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pharmaceutical Journal | The BMJ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharmaceutical-journal/id649954083/reviews) | **[4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bmj/id1395295755/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **13** |
| Positive reviews | 19.0% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 26 MB | 241 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain](https://appshunter.io/developer/424660461) | [BMJ Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/345548841) |

## What reviewers say

### Pharmaceutical Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharmaceutical-journal/id649954083)

Stay updated with the latest pharmacy news, analysis, and learning articles. Access in-depth insights on drugs, pharmacy practice, and healthcare policy. This resource provides authoritative peer-reviewed content for professionals in the pharmaceutical sciences.

**Highlights:** Daily updated pharmacy news, Analysis and features on medicines, Learning articles and CPD, Insight into drug development, Healthcare policy updates, Peer-reviewed resources

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### The BMJ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-bmj/id1395295755)

Access a leading general medical journal for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. Stay updated with practice-changing research, expert columns, and embedded video content. Enjoy offline access to downloaded issues and earn CME points.

**Highlights:** Read leading medical research, Apply practice-changing takeaways, Access trusted, data-supported news, Offline access to downloaded issues, Earn CME points, Read ahead of print, Embedded video content

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The BMJ (1 month) | $11.49 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Easy access to BMJ
- 👍 Reliable app
- 👍 Indispensable source of information
- 👍 Given up paper version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not unbiased on strikes
- 🐛 Not as comprehensive as previously
- 🐛 Only 1 BMJ per month
- 🐛 Printed on cheap paper
- 🐛 Awful navigation

**Reported bugs**

- App won’t open on iPhone
- App always asks to restore purchase
- Account does not exist
- Often doesn’t allow access to most recent edition
- Poor updating of editions

**Requested features**

- Copy figures and tables to more apps directly
- Copy figures and tables to more apps directly eg Twitter lectures etc
- Would be nice to be able to export text/tables/flow charts with a click
- Would like a bit less subscription payment
- Please see title! (Dark mode)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pharmaceutical Journal free?

Pharmaceutical Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The BMJ free?

The BMJ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pharmaceutical Journal or The BMJ?

The BMJ is rated higher. Pharmaceutical Journal averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while The BMJ averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.

### Do Pharmaceutical Journal or The BMJ have ads?

Neither Pharmaceutical Journal nor The BMJ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pharmaceutical Journal or The BMJ?

Pharmaceutical Journal ships an update every 6 months, and The BMJ every 6 months. Most recently, Pharmaceutical Journal was updated on October 16, 2026 and The BMJ on October 29, 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.*