Softwr

Healthcare · head to head

Medscape vs UpToDate

Medscape logo

Medscape

Healthcare

Medical information, education, and news for healthcare professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
UpToDate logo

UpToDate

Healthcare

Evidence-based clinical decision support for healthcare providers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Medscape has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Medscape medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).; UpToDate upToDate does not publish subscription prices; the vendor (Wolters Kluwer) sorts buyers into separate individual, clinic-wide, and institutional subscription tracks and requires contacting the organization through its subscription-payment-options page rather than showing a rate for any of them.
  • They diverge on capability: Medscape covers Medical News, UpToDate covers Clinical Evidence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Medscape and UpToDate actually diverge.

Attributes where Medscape and UpToDate differ
AttributeMedscapeUpToDate
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded19961992

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Mobile), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Healthcare).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Medscape

  • Medical News
  • Drug Database
  • Medical Calculators
  • CME Courses
  • Disease Information
  • Specialty Content

Only in UpToDate

  • Clinical Evidence
  • Drug Information
  • Calculators
  • Medical Images
  • Videos
  • CME Credits
  • Mobile

Both cover

  • EHR Systems
  • HIPAA
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Medscape

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Records
  • Practice Management
  • Telehealth

UpToDate

  • Patient Care
  • Medical Records
  • Practice Management
  • Telehealth

Both are used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Medscape

  • Medscape is free to use but requires mandatory account registration through profreg.medscape.com and login before content can be viewed; the site describes itself as 'a free resource for physicians', restricting the intended audience to registered healthcare professionals rather than the general public (31 Dec 2020 archive capture).

UpToDate

  • UpToDate does not publish subscription prices; the vendor (Wolters Kluwer) sorts buyers into separate individual, clinic-wide, and institutional subscription tracks and requires contacting the organization through its subscription-payment-options page rather than showing a rate for any of them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Medscape

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Medical news
    • Drug database
    • CME

UpToDate

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the UpToDate review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Medscape if

  • You need medical news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want drug database.
Medscape review

Choose UpToDate if

  • You need clinical evidence.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want drug information.
UpToDate review

Questions people ask

Is Medscape or UpToDate better?
Neither clearly leads. Medscape starts at Free and UpToDate at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Medscape or UpToDate?
Medscape has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Medscape and On request for UpToDate.
Does Medscape or UpToDate run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Medscape for free?
Yes. Medscape has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. UpToDate starts at On request.
What is Medscape best used for?
Medscape is most often used for patient care, medical records, practice management, telehealth.
What can Medscape do that UpToDate cannot?
Medscape covers Medical News, Drug Database, Medical Calculators, CME Courses. UpToDate covers Clinical Evidence, Drug Information, Calculators, Medical Images. Both handle EHR Systems, HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Web support.
Share

Related pages

More on Medscape

More on UpToDate

Keep looking

Other head to heads