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Head-to-head  ·  Drug info

Epocrates vs UpToDate Lexidrug

Epocrates and UpToDate Lexidrug both compete in drug info, but answer different questions. Epocrates is our pick for clinician drug app: Most-used clinician drug-reference app in the US, free tier. UpToDate Lexidrug earns the drug reference slot: Most-deployed drug reference in US health systems. Formerly Lexicomp. The right choice depends on whether your priority is clinician drug app or drug reference.

Category
Drug info
Tools compared
02
Reviewed
May 23, 2026
Editorial silo
/best-ai-drug-information

The two contenders

Best free clinician drug app

Epocrates

by Epocrates (athenahealth/Bain)  ·  founded 1998

Most-used clinician drug-reference app in the US.

Pricing
Free + $16.99/mo Plus + $159/yr Essentials.
Compliance

Best institutional drug reference

UpToDate Lexidrug

by Wolters Kluwer

Gold-standard drug reference + interaction screening (formerly Lexicomp).

Pricing
Enterprise (institutional only).
Compliance

Side-by-side specifications

How Epocrates and UpToDate Lexidrug compare

Pricing, compliance, and integrations sourced from vendor documentation. Verified May 23, 2026.

SpecEpocratesUpToDate Lexidrug
PricingFree + $16.99/mo Plus + $159/yr Essentials.Enterprise (institutional only).
Free tierYesYes
HIPAANo / unverifiedNo / unverified
SOC 2 Type IINo / unverifiedNo / unverified
EHR integrationsNot specifiedNot specified
Founded1998
HQUSNL
Best forBest free clinician drug appBest institutional drug reference

Scroll horizontally to see both columns.

Editorial verdict

When to pick each one

When to pick Epocrates

Best free clinician drug app

Most-used clinician drug-reference app in the US, free tier.

  • Free + $16.99/mo Plus + $159/yr Essentials
  • Pill ID, formulary, interactions
Read the full Epocrates review

When to pick UpToDate Lexidrug

Best institutional drug reference

Most-deployed drug reference in US health systems. Formerly Lexicomp.

  • Wolters Kluwer
  • Drug-drug, drug-allergy, IV-compatibility screening
  • Institutional standard
Read the full UpToDate Lexidrug review

Wider context

Open the full drug info comparison

Drug references (Lexidrug, Micromedex, Epocrates), interaction checkers, and emerging AI drug-discovery platforms (Insilico, Schrödinger, Recursion). Two distinct markets covered.

See all drug info

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