Comparison

BCT Taxonomy vs ClinicalKey

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

Head to head
About

BCT Taxonomy

This app provides a searchable database of 93 behavior change techniques, organized into 16 groups. It's a valuable resource for designing, reporting, or evaluating interventions aimed at modifying behavior.

Highlights
  • Full BCTTv1 access
  • Quick search by label or grouping
  • View all BCTs
  • Definitions and examples
  • Organized into 16 groupings
Features
Read full description

This app is an easy-to-navigate and fully searchable version of the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1) published by Michie et al. (2013). Comprising 93 behaviour change techniques (BCTs) with labels, definitions and examples, organised into 16 groupings to increase speed of use, the taxonomy is a valuable tool for anyone involved in designing, reporting or evaluating interventions to change behaviour. Features - Access to the full BCTTv1 - Quick search for BCTs by BCT label, grouping or view all BCTs - Find out more about the BCTTv1 taxonomy project About The development of BCTTv1 was three-year project, funded by the UK Medical Research Council and led by a team of behavioural scientists from: • University College London • University of Aberdeen • University of Cambridge • University of Exeter • City University London • Newcastle University Find out more about the BCTTv1 project at: www.ucl.ac.uk/health-psychology/bcttaxonomy

About

ClinicalKey

This app provides medical professionals with instant access to a vast library of clinical knowledge, including synoptic content and in-depth reference materials. It helps users stay updated on medical advancements, confirm diagnoses, and advance their research skills, all while offering CME/MOC/CE credits.

Highlights
  • Access to 30+ medical specialties
  • Synoptic content for quick answers
  • Full-text reference books and journals
  • Mobile-optimized medical calculators
  • Earn CME/MOC/CE credits
  • Intuitive search functionality
Read full description

INSTITUTIONAL SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED. Access the latest advances in clinical knowledge anytime, anywhere with ClinicalKey®- the essential resource for medical professionals. ClinicalKey combines the speed of synoptic content with the depth of a comprehensive clinical reference tool in one intuitive solution to provide clinicians trusted information in the moments that matter most. With ClinicalKey, you can: • Stay abreast of rapidly expanding clinical knowledge • Quickly confirm diagnosis and treatment information • Advance critical thinking skills and research Please note: To access our extensive content library, ensure you have a subscription to ClinicalKey from your organization. To get started: 1. Download the free ClinicalKey app for iOS on your iPad® or iPhone®. 2. Follow the prompts to connect to your organization’s account.The app will ask questions to get you to the right content. 3. Choose the method of access that is right for you: 4. Select Access via Network if you need a quick answer and your device is connected to your organization's network. 5. Select Access via Institution for other ways to connect. 6. Once you have gained access, create or sign- in to your Elsevier ClinicalKey user account to save favorites and earn CME/MOC/CE/MOC/CE. ClinicalKey® Because you want to find a better way to help your patients ClinicalKey combines the speed of synoptic content with the depth of a comprehensive clinical reference tool in one intuitive solution to give clinicians trusted information in the moments that matter. With the ClinicalKey, clinicians will be able to: • Enhance patient care with trusted resources and deep insights across 30+ specialties • Combine efficiency and confidence in your practice with access to quick answers and information that is continuously updated • Excel in your field by building foundational knowledge and keeping up with the latest trends through full-text reference books and journals, while earning free CME/MOC/CE credit • Stay abreast of rapidly expanding clinical knowledge • Quickly confirm diagnosis and treatment information • Advance critical thinking skills and research ClinicalKey App for iOS Features: • Trusted Comprehensive content covering more than 30 medical and surgical specialties • Easy-to-scan, clinically focused medical topic synopses • Intuitive search with auto-suggest/ • Easy search with auto-completion • Direct navigation to your favorite books and journals • Mobile-optimized medical calculators • Access to full-text books, full-text journals, guidelines, multimedia and more • Access via Institutional IP; individuals will not be able to earn CME/MOC/CE, save, or share content when using IP authentication. Please register for remote access via your institutional web version of ClinicalKey. ClinicalKey Registrants (non-IP) customers will enjoy: • Opportunity to earn CME and fulfill MOC requirements with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) • Ability to favorite and save content • Option to print and email topics, videos or graphics • Earn and track free CME/MOC/CE credit Ability to favorite and save content Print and email topics, videos or graphics to patients and colleagues iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the US and other countries.

Screenshots

BCT Taxonomy4 screens
ClinicalKey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BCT Taxonomy at 100% against ClinicalKey's 9%. BCT Taxonomy also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). ClinicalKey's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 74 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BCT Taxonomy ships an update every 74 months, ClinicalKey every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
BCT Taxonomy versus ClinicalKey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBCT TaxonomyClinicalKey
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better8.8% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 74 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB55 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer23 LtdElsevier Inc.

Customer experience

BCT Taxonomy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ClinicalKey

Written reviews102 reviews
Positive8.8%
Neutral4.9%
Negative86.3%

Bugs and requests

BCT Taxonomy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ClinicalKey

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App stuck on loading screen after initial login
  • Forced logout when closing or minimizing app
  • Institutional login not working despite web access
  • App crashes during search queries
  • OpenAthens authentication failures
Show 9 more
  • Network change warnings appearing incorrectly
  • Search results returning unrelated content
  • Textbook search not finding available books
  • App won't load after recent updates
  • Blank search results for valid queries
  • Scrolling in table of contents sidebar not functioning
  • Landscape orientation not supported
  • App doesn't remember page position when reopened
  • Restricted access to books after updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • PDF download capability within the app
  • Favorite/bookmark textbooks and articles
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • Find-on-page text search function
  • Automatic session persistence and page memory
Show 5 more
  • Text size and screen color customization
  • Fingerprint/passcode login option
  • Browse feature with category filtering
  • Offline access to downloaded materials
  • Feature parity with website version

In-app purchases

None

BCT Taxonomy

No in-app purchases

None

ClinicalKey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BCT Taxonomy free?
BCT Taxonomy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ClinicalKey free?
ClinicalKey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BCT Taxonomy or ClinicalKey have ads?
Neither BCT Taxonomy nor ClinicalKey shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BCT Taxonomy or ClinicalKey?
BCT Taxonomy ships an update every 74 months, and ClinicalKey every 5 weeks. Most recently, BCT Taxonomy was updated on October 24, 2026 and ClinicalKey on October 20, 2026.

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