Doz ↔ Pill Buddy

Doz vs Pill Buddy

Checked October 4, 2026

The short answer

Pill Buddy makes reminders cute. Doz makes your medications organised. Doz keeps a stock count and warns you before you run out, supports every-few-days and on/off cycle schedules, groups medications by prescription, anchors doses to meals, and syncs through iCloud to a new iPhone.

Both are ad-free. But a mascot cannot tell you a refill is due, and a July 2026 Pill Buddy review was still asking for pill counts. If you take more than a couple of medicines, or they are not every day, Doz is the one that keeps up.

Why choose Doz over Pill Buddy

Running-low warnings. Doz counts as you log; Pill Buddy does not advertise pill counts or refills.
Schedules beyond every day. Every 2 to 90 days, on/off cycles like 21/7, chosen weekdays and as needed. Pill Buddy documents custom days and times only.
Discreet when you need it. Doz can hide medication names in notifications; a July 2026 review notes Pill Buddy's calls and notifications always show its name.
Syncs to a new phone. Your private iCloud carries everything over; Pill Buddy does not document sync.
Prescriptions and meals. Each prescription is one card with its medications, doctor and course dates, and doses can be set before, with or after breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Try Doz free. No account, no ads. Up to 4 medications free; Doz Pro is $19.99 once or $9.99 a year.

Get Doz on the App Store

Doz vs Pill Buddy at a glance

Feature	Doz	Pill Buddy
Price	Free. Doz Pro is $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $19.99 once	Free; Pill Buddy Supporter is $4.99 a month or $35.90 a year
What the free version includes	Up to 4 medications and 1 prescription, reminders, stock count, every schedule type, 7 days of history	The developer calls it "fun & free"; what Supporter unlocks is not stated
Account needed	No No account or sign-up	No Data stays on your device, per its privacy policy
Ads	No No ads	No "No ads"
Where your data lives	On your iPhone, with optional sync through your own private iCloud. The developer cannot see it. Anonymous usage and crash data only	On your device, per its privacy policy. Health, usage and diagnostics collected, not linked to you; no tracking
Grouping by prescription	Yes Each prescription is one card holding its medications, doctor, clinic and course dates	Not stated
Set up from the label text	Yes Type the instruction as written, such as “1 capsule twice daily for 7 days”, and Doz builds the schedule on your iPhone (English)	Not stated
Meal-based timing	Yes Before, with or after breakfast, lunch or dinner. Auto-shift when meal times change is Pro	Not stated
Running-low warning	Yes Stock count with a low-stock warning in the app, at a level you set per medication. No push alert	Not stated
Reminders on a silenced iPhone	Pro Critical Alerts break through Silent and Focus	Not stated
Follow-up if a dose is not logged	Pro One follow-up nudge, 5 to 60 minutes later	Yes Escalating reminders, including an automated phone call option
Log a dose from the notification	Pro Take or Skip from the notification	Not stated
Hide medication names in notifications	Yes Free option	Not stated
Schedule types	Every day, chosen weekdays, every 2 to 90 days, on/off cycles such as 21/7, as needed. No every-N-hours interval	Custom days and times per medicine, and one-off doses; other schedule types not stated
Time zone changes	Doses keep their local clock time when you change time zone	Not stated
Siri	Yes Ask about schedule, stock and progress free; log, skip and refill by voice with Pro	Not stated
Apple Health	Pro Imports medications and dose history (iOS 26). Never writes to Health	Not stated
Widgets	Pro Home Screen and Lock Screen, with a Take button	Yes Including a Lock Screen widget
Works offline	Yes Fully	Not stated
Platforms	iPhone (iOS 17 or later)	iPhone (iOS 18.1 and later); also runs on Apple silicon Macs and Apple Vision
Apple Watch app	No	No None listed
Caregiver or family sharing	No	Not stated
Drug interaction checks	No	Not stated
Reports or export for your doctor	No	Not stated

“Pro” means the feature needs Doz Pro ($2.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $19.99 once). “Not stated” means Pill Buddy does not say either way in its own materials.

Price and privacy

	Doz	Pill Buddy
Free version	Up to 4 medications, reminders, stock count, all schedule types	Free; the developer calls it "fun & free"
Paid	$2.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $19.99 once	Supporter $4.99 a month or $35.90 a year
Ads	No	No
Where data lives	Your iPhone and your own iCloud	Your device, per its privacy policy
Sync between devices	Yes iCloud	Not stated

Structure keeps working when motivation does not

Pill Buddy's reminders escalate the longer a dose goes unlogged, up to a phone call, and the guilt is part of the design; some reviewers find it wears thin.

Doz works from structure: doses grouped and timed the way the prescription was written, a follow-up nudge if one is missed and Critical Alerts that ring through Silent (both Doz Pro), and a stock count so the bottle never surprises you. That keeps working on the days you do not feel like it.

When Pill Buddy may suit you better

Motivation is the hard part, and a mascot that nags, celebrates streaks and phones you will help.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pill Buddy free?

Yes, Pill Buddy is free with no ads. An optional Pill Buddy Supporter subscription costs $4.99 a month or $35.90 a year; the developer does not list exactly what it unlocks. Doz is free for up to 4 medications, with Doz Pro at $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $19.99 once.

Does Pill Buddy track how many pills I have left?

Pill Buddy does not advertise pill counts or refill reminders, and a July 2026 review asked for them. Doz keeps a stock count as you log doses and shows a low-stock warning at a level you set.