# Mosby's Drug Reference vs PharmaFrog

Mosby's Drug Reference and PharmaFrog both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of PharmaFrog's written reviews are positive against 32% of Mosby's Drug Reference's. PharmaFrog also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). Mosby's Drug Reference's advantage is chart position (#174 vs unranked) and ratings volume (235 vs 28). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mosby's Drug Reference sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $45.99 per year. PharmaFrog asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mosby's Drug Reference against 4.7 for PharmaFrog. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mosby's Drug Reference has 235 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Mosby's Drug Reference's written reviews are positive against 100% of PharmaFrog's.

Mosby's Drug Reference ships an update every 9 months, PharmaFrog every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mosby's Drug Reference | PharmaFrog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mosbys-drug-reference/id959042883/reviews) | **[4.7 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharmafrog/id1265907475/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **235** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | 31.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#174** | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [University Medical Center Mainz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296583438) |

## What reviewers say

### Mosby's Drug Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mosbys-drug-reference/id959042883)

**Currently charting:** #174 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

This app provides healthcare professionals with comprehensive drug information, including actions, usage, dosage, interactions, and side effects. It emphasizes patient safety with Black Box Warnings, Safety Alerts, and information on life-threatening side effects. Features include custom notes, highlights, and quick search functionality.

**Highlights:** Over 5,000 drug listings, Black Box Warnings and Safety Alerts, Drug action, usage, dosage, interactions, side effects, Custom notes and highlights, Full text search, Appendix of recent FDA-approvals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mosby's Drug Reference | $45.99 | per year |


### PharmaFrog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pharmafrog/id1265907475)

This educational tool explains complex pharmacology and pharmacotherapy concepts through mechanisms, not just memorization. It generates practice questions and identifies knowledge gaps to help users master drug treatments and clinical guidelines. Available offline, it's designed for healthcare professionals, students, and interested individuals.

**Highlights:** Drug and disease-specific question generation, Learning units, quizzes, and refreshers, Identifies knowledge gaps, Explains pharmacotherapies via mechanisms, Guideline-based clinical situation deployment, Offline access

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mosby's Drug Reference free?

Mosby's Drug Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PharmaFrog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mosby's Drug Reference or PharmaFrog?

PharmaFrog is rated higher. Mosby's Drug Reference averages 4.6 out of 5 from 235 ratings, while PharmaFrog averages 4.7 from 28 ratings.

### Do Mosby's Drug Reference or PharmaFrog have ads?

Neither Mosby's Drug Reference nor PharmaFrog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mosby's Drug Reference or PharmaFrog?

Mosby's Drug Reference ships an update every 9 months, and PharmaFrog every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mosby's Drug Reference was updated on October 15, 2026 and PharmaFrog on October 1, 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.*