Comparison

Thru vs 4Meds

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

Head to head
About

Thru

Conquer legendary hiking trails virtually by tracking your real-world steps. Progress through illustrated landscapes, collect badges, and check in at landmarks on an interactive map. Every mile walked brings your virtual hiker closer to the finish line.

Highlights
  • Virtual thru-hiking expeditions
  • Real-world step tracking integration
  • Interactive progress map
  • Illustrated landscape representations
  • Trail badge collection
  • Landmark check-ins
Features
Read full description

Ever dreamed of completing a legendary thru hike? Now you can conquer epic trails like the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, Grand Tour des Alpes, and more using nothing but your daily steps! Thru connects your real-world activity to a breathtaking virtual expedition. Whether you're walking the dog, running a marathon, or simply pacing around the office, every single mile moves your hiker further along the virtual trail. See your progress unfold on a beautifully designed, interactive map. As you clock the miles, you'll pass through illustrated representations of iconic landscapes. Stay motivated by collecting unique trail badges, checking in at landmarks, and watching your virtual self complete the journey.

About

4Meds

Features
Read full description

4Meds is the simple, private medication tracker that helps you stay on top of your health — without accounts, subscriptions, or cloud sync. Whether you take daily prescriptions, weekly supplements, or the occasional painkiller — 4Meds keeps everything organized in one clean, easy-to-use app. YOUR DAY AT A GLANCE Open the app and instantly see what's scheduled for today. A progress ring shows how you're doing, and every dose is just one tap away. Mark medications as taken, missed, or skipped — with satisfying haptic feedback that makes logging feel effortless. Past-due doses are highlighted so nothing slips through the cracks. FLEXIBLE MEDICATION MANAGEMENT Add recurring medications with custom schedules — choose specific days, set multiple times per day, and define the dosage for each. Track on-demand meds like painkillers or allergy pills with built-in dosage limits per day, week, or month. The app warns you before a dose would exceed your maximum — because safety matters. SUPPLY & REORDER REMINDERS Optionally add a pack size and the amount on hand to any medication. 4Meds counts down with every dose you log and, for scheduled medications, shows how many days each supply will last. Get a reorder reminder a set number of days before a supply runs out, or when only a few are left. The supply calendar and overview keep every pack in view, with a history of refills. SMART REMINDERS Set up push notifications for every scheduled dose. Enable or disable reminders per medication or turn them all off globally. You're always in control. STATISTICS THAT MATTER See your adherence rate at a glance. View weekly intake charts, spot missed-dose patterns, and identify your most-used on-demand medications. Switch between 1-week, 2-week, 4-week, and 3-month views to find the insights you need. HEALTH JOURNAL Log symptoms, side effects, mood, and pain levels right alongside your medication data. Over time, see how what you take connects to how you feel. A valuable tool for conversations with your doctor. PROFESSIONAL PDF REPORTS Generate clean, detailed medication reports with your name, date range, adherence data, and charts — ready to share with your doctor, pharmacist, or caregiver. Export via AirDrop, email, print, or save to Files. YOUR DATA. YOUR DEVICE. PERIOD. 4Meds stores everything locally on your iPhone. No cloud. No account. No tracking. No analytics. Not a single byte leaves your device. Export your data as JSON anytime for safekeeping, and import it back whenever you need to. FIVE LANGUAGES 4Meds speaks English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. The app follows your iPhone's language. To change it, open Settings > Apps > 4Meds > Language on your iPhone, or use the Language row in the app's settings. BUILT FOR EVERYONE Full Dynamic Type support for all text sizes VoiceOver compatible for all key interactions A calm, always-dark design that's easy on the eyes Clean, native iOS design that feels right at home 4Meds is a personal project built with care. No venture capital, no growth metrics, no data monetization — just a useful app that respects your privacy. One-time purchase. No subscriptions. No ads. Ever.

Screenshots

Thru4 screens
4Meds4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Thru at Free against 4Meds's $1.99. 4Meds's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Thru is free to download; 4Meds costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thru ships an update every 9 days, 4Meds every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Thru versus 4Meds: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThru4Meds
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.9 (127 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings127 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron La LauRobert Poetzsch

In-app purchases

None

Thru

No in-app purchases

None

4Meds

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Thru free?
Thru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 4Meds free?
4Meds costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Thru or 4Meds have ads?
Neither Thru nor 4Meds shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thru or 4Meds?
Thru ships an update every 9 days, and 4Meds every 3 days. Most recently, Thru was updated on October 28, 2026 and 4Meds on October 28, 2026.

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