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Report updated Apr 17, 2026

Pill Identifier by Drugs.com is a challenged medical app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 3.4/5 rating from 153 reviews, it faces significant user friction. Users particularly appreciate utility for identification, though inaccurate/incomplete database remains a common concern.

What is Pill Identifier by Drugs.com?

Pill Identifier by Drugs.com is a medical utility leveraging AI image recognition to identify medications. While it holds a strong brand position and recently climbed to #25 in Paid Medical apps (US), it suffers from an 'Upset' user base. The primary value proposition of instant identification is currently undermined by database gaps and a high-friction $9.99/week subscription model that users feel does not match the app's reliability.

Current Momentum

v2.158

Version 2.158 April 2026 Medication Data and Pill Imprint library update.

Active Nemesis

P

Pill Identifier Search

By Silver Star Apps

Other Rivals

epocrates: Drug Info & Pill ID
WebMD: Symptom Checker
Medscape
Medisafe Medication Management
Pillboxie

7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸

Medical
#33
NEW

Rating Pulse 🇺🇸

Recent User Mood

What makes this app unique?

What Does It Look Like?

What Are The Key Features?

AI Image RecognitionDifferentiator

Snap a photo or upload an image to identify pills instantly using advanced recognition technology

Comprehensive Drug DatabaseStandard

Access detailed information on over 24,000 prescription and OTC medications

Search by Physical AttributesStandard

Search for medications based on imprint, drug name, color, and shape

How much does it cost?

Freemium
  • Free version with basic search
  • Pill Identifier Pro: $9.99/week
  • Pill Identifier Pro: $29.99/year

The $9.99/week price point is extremely aggressive for a utility app, creating a 'value gap' when the database fails to identify a pill. This model contrasts sharply with WebMD's free, ad-supported approach.

Who Built It?

Drugs.com app icon

Drugs.com

(36.4K)

Providing peer-reviewed medication information and identification tools to help patients and healthcare professionals manage drug safety.

Portfolio

2

Apps

Free 1
Medical100%

Explore the full Drugs.com report

Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Drugs.com.

Go deeper

What do users think recently?

High confidence · Latest 100 of 153 total reviews analyzed · Based on 153 reviews. Signal may be noisy.

How did the latest release land?

Overall
3.4/ 5
(153)
Current version
3.4/ 5
+0.0 vs overall
(142)
Main signal post-update: utility for Identification.

What is the recent mood?

Frustrated

Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate utility for identification, but report inaccurate/incomplete database and poor search functionality.

What Users Love

Utility for Identification

What Frustrates Users

Inaccurate/Incomplete Database
Poor Search Functionality

View the full user-sentiment analysis

Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.

Go deeper

What is the competitive landscape for Pill Identifier by Drugs.com?

Where is it available?

Localized markets (1)

United States

How's The Medical Market?

How does it evolve in the Medical market?

Rank progression

34 active rankings tracked — 30-day window

The rivals identified

The outtake for Pill Identifier by Drugs.com

Strengths to defend, gaps to attack

Core Strengths

  • Drugs.com brand authority
  • AI-driven photo recognition
  • Integration with broader drug info ecosystem

Critical Frictions

  • High $9.99/week subscription cost
  • Database gaps for common/generic drugs
  • Search UI bugs (disappearing filters)

Growth Levers

  • Expansion of AI for multi-colored pills
  • Professional-tier clinical features
  • Offline database access

Market Threats

  • Free tools from WebMD
  • AI-first startups like Pill Eye
  • High churn due to 'no match' results

What are the next best moves?

high

Fix Search UI Filter Persistence

Users report filters for shape and color disappear when typing imprints, breaking the core search workflow (Sentiment Analysis).

high

Audit Database for Generic Imprints

High-frequency complaints regarding 'no match' for common drugs like Kenzoflex indicate a database coverage gap that invalidates the Pro subscription value (Sentiment Analysis).

medium

Re-evaluate Weekly Subscription Pricing

The $9.99/week price point is cited as a friction point when technical bugs occur, whereas competitors like Pill Identifier Search offer more stability (Competitor Analysis).

Feature Gaps vs Competitors

  • Reliable search for obscure generic imprints (available in Pill Identifier Search)
  • Multi-drug interaction analysis (available in Epocrates)
  • Offline mode (available in Pillboxie)

Key Takeaways

The app is currently coasting on the Drugs.com brand name but is at high risk of churn due to a 'value gap'—the $9.99/week price is too high for a database that frequently returns 'no match.' To defend its #25 ranking, the PM must prioritize fixing the search UI and expanding the imprint library to match the reliability of the Nemesis, Pill Identifier Search.

Where Is It Heading?

Declining

Upset user sentiment driven by database gaps and UI bugs.

v2.158 (April 2026) update shows active maintenance of the imprint library.

High-friction $9.99/week pricing model creates immediate churn when AI recognition fails.

Disclosure: Independent intel to help mobile builders succeed.

AI-powered analysis with editorial review, built from publicly available sources. Marlvel.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Pill Identifier by Drugs.com, its developer, the app publisher, Apple, or Google Play. All trademarks, logos, and screenshots referenced remain the property of their respective owners.

What's new

The app shifted to a freemium model and is experiencing a decline in sentiment due to technical UI bugs and database coverage gaps that undermine its high-priced subscription.

shifted

Freemium Model Adoption

declined

Sentiment Score Drop

declined

Search UI Regression

added

New Weaknesses and Threats

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Pill Identifier by Drugs.com Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 17, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-drugs-pillidlite

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