# DynaMed vs ClinicalKey

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DynaMed at 56% against ClinicalKey's 9%. DynaMed also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription). ClinicalKey's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.4). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DynaMed | ClinicalKey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dynamed/id986105980/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **55.6% of reviews** | 8.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 37 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [EBSCO Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/433269590) | [Elsevier Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/367031326) |

## What reviewers say

### DynaMed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dynamed/id986105980)

This tool provides clinicians with efficient, evidence-based patient care guidance. It offers timely analysis and synthesis of medical literature, updated daily by medical professionals. Mobile access ensures continuous work with syncing between desktop and mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Evidence-based patient care guidance, Daily medical literature review, Objective analysis and synthesis, Physician-authored content, Mobile access with syncing, On-the-go clinical support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Concise and organized information
- 🚀 More up-to-date than UpToDate
- 🚀 Comprehensive and evidence-based
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Valuable point-of-care tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs after updates
- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🐛 Downloading and storage issues
- 🐛 Clunky UI, not optimized for larger screens
- 🐛 Search function glitches

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iOS 14 update
- Downloading content gets stuck in loop
- Search function not working properly
- Frequent login issues
- App not opening on some devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved search functionality
- Better organization of content
- More patient education resources
- Smoother offline access and content management


### ClinicalKey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clinicalkey/id1041998175)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 High-quality, evidence-based clinical content
- 🎯 Intuitive interface and quick reference format
- 🔍 Similar functionality to website version
- 👍 Browse feature restoration appreciated by users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔓 Constant forced logout issues
- 🔐 Institutional login authentication failures
- ⏳ App freezes and perpetual loading screens
- 🚫 Missing textbook access in app vs website
- 📵 Frequent crashes and force closures

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DynaMed free?

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

### Is ClinicalKey free?

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

### Do DynaMed or ClinicalKey have ads?

Neither DynaMed nor ClinicalKey shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DynaMed or ClinicalKey?

DynaMed ships an update every 5 weeks, and ClinicalKey every 5 weeks. Most recently, DynaMed was updated on September 24, 2026 and ClinicalKey on September 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*