# Pharmingo vs StepX

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StepX at none against Pharmingo's 8. StepX also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Pharmingo's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pharmingo sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. StepX asks for nothing beyond the download.

StepX holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pharmingo has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pharmingo ships an update weekly, StepX every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pharmingo | StepX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharmingo/id6758413227/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepx-usmle-made-easy/id6792440731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 251 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Sarah Abdulwahid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1872809063) | [Zaid Alghurabi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1745224457) |

## What reviewers say

### Pharmingo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharmingo/id6758413227)

Master pharmacology with interactive, game-like lessons. This app breaks down complex drug mechanisms and clinical concepts into engaging modules. Earn rewards, track progress, and compete with peers to enhance your learning experience.

**Highlights:** Interactive, bite-sized lessons, Gamified learning with XP and gems, Extensive pharmacology topic coverage, Progress tracking and motivation tools, Leaderboards and peer competitions, Bilingual support (English & Arabic)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pharmingo Super - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pharmingo Super - Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Gems Pack (80) | $0.99 | one-time |
| 250 Gems - Popular Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 600 Gems - Most Popular | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1,300 Gems - Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2,800 Gems - Ultra Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 6,000 Gems - Legend Pack | $39.99 | one-time |


### StepX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stepx-usmle-made-easy/id6792440731)

Prepare for medical licensing exams with a comprehensive platform offering realistic practice tests, in-depth explanations, and a searchable medical library. Build custom quizzes, track progress with detailed analytics, and access expert-led video lectures. Study offline and connect with mentors for personalized guidance.

**Highlights:** Dynamic QBank & Custom Quiz Builder, Realistic Exam Interface, In-Depth Explanations, Comprehensive Medical Library, Video Lecture Library, Self-Assessments & NBME-Style Exams, Personalized Analytics & Performance Tracking, Offline Mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pharmingo free?

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

### Is StepX free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pharmingo or StepX?

StepX is rated higher. Pharmingo averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while StepX averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pharmingo or StepX have ads?

Pharmingo shows ads; StepX does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pharmingo or StepX?

Pharmingo ships an update weekly, and StepX every 3 months. Most recently, Pharmingo was updated on October 24, 2026 and StepX on October 23, 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.*