Amboss vs Picmonic: Is Amboss Worth it?
Torn between Picmonic and Amboss for med school mastery? Compare the two for yourself and choose your ultimate study resource to get you through medical school.
A Comparison of Picmonic and Amboss
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Amboss | |
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| For Medicine | For Medicine | |
| Price | ||
| Price | $180/year | $150/year |
| CONTENT | ||
| Videos / Topics | ||
| Videos / Topics | 2,000+ | 1,000+ |
| Quiz Questions | ||
| Quiz Questions | 24,000+ | *must purchase separately |
| Benefits | ||
| Avg. Video Length | ||
| Avg. Video Length | 2-3 mins | 6-18 mins |
| Definitions | ||
| Definitions |
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| Topic Summaries | ||
| Topic Summaries |
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| Daily Quiz with Spaced Repetition | ||
| Daily Quiz with Spaced Repetition |
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| Study Scheduler | ||
| Study Scheduler |
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| Custom Playlists | ||
| Custom Playlists |
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| Follow pg-by-pg w/ Popular Books | ||
| Follow pg-by-pg w/ Popular Books |
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| Real Images & Video | ||
| Real Images & Video |
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| Board Style Questions | ||
| Board Style Questions |
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| Customize & Share Content | ||
| Customize & Share Content |
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| Study Guides / Workbooks | ||
| Study Guides / Workbooks |
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| Webinar Videos | ||
| Webinar Videos |
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| Academic Infographics | ||
| Academic Infographics |
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| Integrated with Other Study Aids | ||
| Integrated with Other Study Aids |
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| Anki Integration | ||
| Anki Integration |
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| Mobile Apps | ||
| Mobile Apps |
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| Validated by Published Research | ||
| Validated by Published Research |
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| Last Updated 04/2025 |
Amboss is a good resource for medical students seeking a comprehensive and rigorous learning experience. It is text-heavy in nature and focuses on broader topics which may not be ideal for everyone. Picmonic uses engaging animated videos and mnemonics with memorable stories to make information engaging and is proven to increase long term memory and help you master the facts. Picmonic can prime your understanding for topics, while Amboss can help build exam confidence.
Which visual mnemonic resource is best for you? We compare both med study resources on a variety of factors including content coverage, price, custom playlist functionality, flashcards, integration with other study aids, LMS integrations, mobile apps and more!
Save $250+ Every Year
That’s how much you’ll save by choosing Picmonic for Medicine’s visual mnemonic learning system over Amboss’ membership. Plus you’ll get more of the topic coverage you need to succeed at a fraction of the cost.
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Amboss |
|---|---|
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Picmonic for Medicine $180/year |
Amboss for Medicine + Qbank access $448/year |
| Last Updated 04/2025 |
Picmonic is a Smart Way to Study
Tips for Success in Med School (How I Scored a 275 on Step 1)
There’s no single secret to doing well, but a successful med school graduate happily shares some of the resources he used in his first two years to ace exams and prep for STEP.
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“I Would Not Have Passed Med School without Picmonic”
Dr. Marc Katz, the author of mykittykatz.com, shares his tips for succeeding in medical school and matching with the residency program you want.
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What is the secret to getting a good match for medical residency?
Samuel B. Wood shares his story so you can learn how a successful med student matched in his dream residency program.
Read more >Picmonic Is Different
Picmonic is the only visual learning resource for STEP and COMLEX with powerful mnemonic generator tools students can use to create the perfect study resource for them. Personalization isn’t something offered by other resources such as Amboss. Add facts, characters, images and videos. Customization also helps with retention, and can become an integral part of a robust study routine.
Picmonic Has Been Helping Med Students for Nearly a Decade
Since 2012, Picmonic has helped medical students master hard-to-learn topics and retain what they study longer, harnessing the power of picture mnemonics and spaced repetition in a single easy to use mnemonic learning platform that many students love.
Picmonic is a total game changer. I had trouble going back and revising old notes but with picmonic things get easy. They have cool picmonics and great spaced repetition program to study and retain more. I’m already seeing improvements, this is unbelievable.
Picmonic has been a huge part of my learning. I just took the first UWORLD simulation exam and I scored a 275 (99% percentile) and it’s definitely because of Picmonic. Picmonic is for the students who want to excel because they were the ones who knew that extra small detail that changed their score from a 239 to a 245 or a 249 to 255….because one extra correct question on the actual USMLE can mean a few extra points.
Picmonic was the perfect add on for my medical school studying! I like that it aligns with first aid and I always use it after I do first-pass of a topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amboss?
Amboss is a med school resource that distills medical information into easily digestible bites, providing answers in minutes to help make clinical decisions. Amboss also offers board style questions with an add-on subscription.
Should I use Amboss and Picmonic together?
When it’s time to review for an exam or prep for STEP 1, the Picmonic platform will be the more efficient resource across all topics given Picmonic’s more comprehensive coverage of hi-yield med school topics. If you are already a subscriber of Amboss, you can use Picmonic’s visual mnemonics to fill in the gaps for coverage of the thousands of topics Amboss does not include.
What does Picmonic have that Amboss does not have?
Amboss does NOT have:
- Comprehensive coverage of STEP 1 topics
- Customization
- Related Facts (connect related topics)
- Real-life imagery
- Study guides and other study aids
- Infographics
- Alignment with First Aid and other textbooks (you can’t use Amboss as you study First Aid page by page)
- Pass guarantee*
How good is Amboss for USMLE Step 1?
Amboss is a good tool for STEP 1 studying, but it only covers a limited number of topics. You can supplement your studying with another study tool for coverage of all hi-yield topics that will be covered on STEP 1, but you give up the benefit of being able to easily connect related facts across all STEP 1 topics. Selecting the right tool to study with from your first year in medical school is important to ensure you have a strong foundation for reviewing all STEP 1 topics in your second year.
How good is Amboss for USMLE Step 2?
Amboss has a Step 2 CK Self-assessment, which is a practice version of USMLE Step 2 CK, simulating both its structure and scoring.
How good is Amboss for USMLE Step 3?
Amboss Step 3 is an on-the-go app for physicians, to get quick clinical answers and a custom study plan. It includes 2000+ Step 3 questions with curated explanations.
Does Amboss have a Qbank?
Amboss provides USMLE-style questions, with contextual explanations of which answers do and do not apply. Their Qbank can only be purchased in a bundle with their main membership for a total cost of 448/year.
Does Amboss have a mobile app?
What is the Amboss Knowledge Library?
Amboss costs $19.99 a month or $150 for their yearly subscription. Access to their Qbank has to be purchased in a bundle with their main membership for $448 per year.
How much does Amboss cost?
Amboss costs $14.99 a month or $129 for their yearly subscription. Access to their Qbank is an additional add-on of $149 a month or $299 per year.
Is Amboss free?
Amboss offers a 5-day free trial without a credit card.
How many videos does Amboss have?
There are 1000+ Amboss videos that range in length from 3-18 minutes. That’s less than Picmonic’s 2000+ videos.
Does Amboss have an Anki Add-on?
Yes, you can upgrade your flashcards with pop-up explanations and links to articles from the Amboss library.
By the Numbers
Nearly 2 million healthcare students have used Picmonic to ace exams and boards/certifications on their way to becoming successful professionals.
1.9M Students
100 Countries
80K High-Yield Facts
*Pass STEP/COMLEX, guaranteed. Start using Picmonic in your first year. If you do not pass we’ll hook you up with a full refund or double the length of your access free.
