PillBuddy vs Apple Health Medications
Which is better, PillBuddy or Apple Health Medications?
Choose Apple Health Medications if you want a free option that is already on your iPhone, works on iPad and Apple Watch, and can export a PDF list of your medications; choose PillBuddy if you want a separate app focused on today's schedule, snooze and a taken/skipped history, and want to add a medicine by scanning the text on its box outside the U.S. Apple lists its own camera scanning and drug interaction checks as available only in the United States. Both let you pick specific weekdays (Apple needs iOS 18 or later for that) and both log each dose as taken or skipped. Apple Health sends a follow-up reminder if a dose is not logged 30 minutes after the first notification. PillBuddy is free to download with an optional Pro subscription. Neither tells you what to take: this is not medical advice.
PillBuddy and Apple Health Medications side by side
| PillBuddy | Apple Health Medications | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS | iOS, watchOS |
| Price to download | Free to download | Built into iOS |
| Store rating | n/a | n/a |
| Cost and setup | Free download from the App Store; optional PillBuddy Pro at $4.99/month or $29.99/year (US App Store, Nov 2026) | Built into the Health app; nothing to download [source] |
| Adding a medication | Catalog suggestions, manual entry, or scanning the text on the box with the camera or a photo, read on the device | Search by name; adding with the iPhone camera is available only in the United States [source] |
| Schedules | Reminder times and specific weekdays for each medication | Cyclical schedules and specific days of the week (iOS 18 or later), plus as-needed medications [source] |
| Logging doses | Mark each dose taken or skipped and return to the history | Log each dose as taken or skipped on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch [source] |
| Reminders | Reminders at your chosen times, a today view, and snooze for a single reminder | Dose reminders, plus a follow-up reminder if a dose is not logged 30 minutes after the first notification [source] |
| Drug interactions | No; PillBuddy does not give medical advice | Interaction checks, available only in the United States [source] |
| Sharing a medication list | Not part of the feature list | Export a PDF of your current medications [source] |
| Devices | iPhone (iOS 15.1 or later) | iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch [source] |
Choose PillBuddy if
- You live outside the U.S. and want to add a medicine by scanning the text on its box, read on your iPhone
- You want a separate app that shows only today's doses, with snooze and a taken/skipped history
- Your iPhone runs an older iOS version and you need weekday-only reminders
Choose Apple Health Medications if
- You want a free option with nothing extra to install
- You want to log doses from Apple Watch or iPad
- You want a PDF list of your medications for an appointment, or U.S. drug interaction checks
- You want follow-up reminders when a dose is not logged
Questions
Can I use PillBuddy and Apple Health Medications at the same time?
You can, but two sets of reminders for the same medicine are confusing. Pick one app for reminders and logging, and turn the other one's reminders off.
Why can't I scan my medicine box in Apple Health?
Apple says adding a medication with the iPhone camera is available only in the United States. Elsewhere you type the name. PillBuddy reads the text on the box with your camera or a photo on the device; always check the result and enter your prescribed dose.
Does Apple Health Medications cost anything?
No. It is part of the Health app on iPhone. PillBuddy is free to download, with an optional PillBuddy Pro subscription.
Sources: support.apple.com, discussions.apple.com, apps.apple.com