Comparison

CVS Specialty vs CarelonRx

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

Head to head
About

CVS Specialty

Manage your specialty prescriptions conveniently from your mobile device. Order refills, track your orders, make payments, and securely message your care team. Pick up at a CVS Pharmacy or have them delivered.

Highlights
  • Order prescription refills
  • Track order status
  • Make payments
  • Secure messaging with CareTeam
  • Choose pickup or delivery
Currently charting
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Please Note: This app is for CVS Specialty® patients only. You must have a CVS Specialty prescription in order to use this app Your health is our greatest priority. That’s why at CVS Specialty, we make it easy to manage your prescriptions at home or on the go. With the CVS Specialty mobile app, you can: · Order refills · Choose to pick-up your prescriptions at any CVS Pharmacy® where allowed by law, or have them delivered to another location of your choice. · Track your order status · Make fast and easy payments · Communicate with your CareTeam using the Secure Messaging feature. Ask a question and get answers from CareTeam members trained in your condition. All messages are secure and confidential You can sign-in securely through iPhone’s Touch ID or FACE ID (iPhone X). We’re always just a tap away. CVS Specialty – specialty medications with personalized support. We release updates to this app regularly and base our roadmap on your feedback.

About

CarelonRx

Manage your pharmacy benefits easily. Look up prescription prices, find pharmacies, and refill medications. Track shipments and access your digital ID card all in one place.

Highlights
  • Prescription price lookup
  • Pharmacy network finder
  • Medication management
  • Prescription refills
  • Shipment tracking
  • Digital ID card access
Features
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With the CarelonRx app, you can get more from your pharmacy benefits. Look up the price of a prescription, find a preferred pharmacy, and manage all your medications in one place. Refill prescriptions from the app and track shipments until they’re delivered to your door. The CarelonRx app allows you to: • See all prescriptions at a glance • Compare costs and check coverage • Find a pharmacy in your plan’s network • Sign up for home delivery and automatic refills (on certain prescriptions) • Check order status and track shipments • View prescription history • Access or download your digital ID card • View claims history or make a payment • Update shipping and payment information and communication preferences • Chat live with pharmacy member services or schedule a call back You must have pharmacy benefits directly through CarelonRx to use the app. Contact your health plan to check, if you aren’t sure. This app does not collect any information or share any personal data.

Screenshots

CVS Specialty4 screens
CarelonRx4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CVS Specialty at 4.4 against CarelonRx's 3.3. CVS Specialty also leads on ratings volume (1.9K vs 31) and review sentiment (35% vs 20%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CVS Specialty holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CVS Specialty has 1.9K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of CVS Specialty's written reviews are positive against 20% of CarelonRx's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
CVS Specialty versus CarelonRx: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCVS SpecialtyCarelonRx
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.9K ratings) — better3.3 (31 ratings)
Positive reviews35.2% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better31
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#207 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB84 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCVS PharmacyCarelonRx, Inc

Customer experience

CVS Specialty

All ratings1,882 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive35.2%
Neutral4.1%
Negative60.7%

CarelonRx

All ratings31 ratings
Positive54.8%
Neutral6.5%
Negative38.7%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

CVS Specialty

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent loading issues
  • Inability to refill prescriptions
  • Disappearing order buttons
  • Inconsistent behavior across iOS and Android

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to add supplementary items to orders
  • Improved in-app order management
  • Seamless integration with regular CVS app
  • Persistent login and order history
  • Enhanced notification system

CarelonRx

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CVS Specialty

No in-app purchases

None

CarelonRx

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CVS Specialty free?
CVS Specialty is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CarelonRx free?
CarelonRx is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CVS Specialty or CarelonRx?
CVS Specialty is rated higher. CVS Specialty averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while CarelonRx averages 3.3 from 31 ratings.
Do CVS Specialty or CarelonRx have ads?
Neither CVS Specialty nor CarelonRx shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CVS Specialty or CarelonRx?
CVS Specialty ships an update monthly, and CarelonRx monthly. Most recently, CVS Specialty was updated on October 24, 2026 and CarelonRx on October 25, 2026.

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