GPnotebook and iatroX both help clinicians investigate clinical questions, and both now describe AI-supported answers. The distinction is no longer a static encyclopaedia versus a chatbot. Compare the question you need answered, the supporting material you can inspect and the learning you want to do afterwards.
This updated comparison is published by iatroX and includes iatroX among the resources discussed. Public product information was checked on 20 September 2026. The examples are proposed tasks for readers to try, not invented transcripts or measured results.
At a glance: what has changed
GPnotebook retains its concise, linked primary-care articles, but its current website also describes AI Answers generated from its curated archive. It advertises educational videos, podcasts, modules and quizzes. Pro adds features including activity tracking, reflections and PDF export. Describing the platform as having no AI or no learning tools would now be inaccurate. GPnotebook
Ask-iatroX is a free clinical-reference service with linked sources. Its wider learning platform includes examination-specific questions, Socratic Tutor, planning, simulations and CPD tools. That breadth matters when the reader has a relevant learning goal; it does not mean every lookup requires the whole subscription. iatroX methodology
| Task | What to examine in GPnotebook | What to examine in iatroX |
|---|---|---|
| Find a concise definition | Relevant topic page and linked context | Direct explanation and source support |
| Investigate a clinical question | Topic navigation or AI Answers | Question framing, cited answer and qualifications |
| Explore a learning gap | Relevant educational content and review | Appropriate questions and Tutor follow-up |
| Keep learning evidence | The functions included in the actual access tier | Reviewed CPD record and supported exports |
This is a task map, not a performance ranking. Integration or institutional access must be checked for the particular organisation, rather than inferred from a general product name.
Question one: a quick definition
A fictional trainee sees CRB-65 mentioned in a teaching case and wants to know what the term refers to. A concise reference page may resolve that need immediately. There is no benefit in demanding a long conversational explanation when the uncertainty is a bounded definition.
Before moving on, the trainee should distinguish learning the name from using the score. They would still need the intended population, required observations and guidance about interpretation before applying it to a clinical decision. Neither the presence of a definition nor a correctly produced number establishes the full plan.
For this task, compare how easily the relevant context is reached. Does the first result identify the intended use? Are the supporting materials readily accessible? Can the trainee see what the term does not establish? A familiar, well-organised topic page can be preferable to a lengthy answer that buries these qualifications.
This preserves a practical reason to use GPnotebook: fast access to a specific fact can be exactly the right amount of help.
Question two: a community-acquired pneumonia query
Now the trainee asks, "Where should I check the current UK approach to community-acquired pneumonia?" The task has changed from defining a term to identifying guidance that fits a setting and patient group.
In GPnotebook, the reader can inspect the relevant clinical page and its sources or try the advertised AI Answers workflow. In Ask-iatroX, they can request a source-linked explanation. These are alternative routes to material that still requires inspection, not evidence that either route automatically delivers a better conclusion.
The useful evaluation is whether the answer distinguishes the setting, population and information needed. A response that immediately supplies a universal treatment statement may be answering an underspecified question. Record what is missing before judging the answer's fluency.
For teaching, ask the trainee to explain why the original prompt needs qualification. That is a different exercise from copying a recommendation into notes. No medicine regimen is provided here: the purpose is choosing and checking the resource, not replacing the current clinical guidance.
Question three: an asthma query that needs clarification
"What is the step-up plan for asthma?" sounds specific but can conceal several different questions. An original fictional case might omit the person's age, current treatment, adherence, technique and intended clinical setting. The first useful response may therefore be to identify missing context rather than produce a longer sequence.
Try rewriting the request as: "For a fictional adult learning case in UK primary care, which details must be established before reviewing a proposed change to asthma management, and which sources should be checked?" The wording exposes the information-gathering task without requesting a decision from an incomplete real record.
Compare whether the resource helps distinguish what is known, what is assumed and what requires verification. Then return to its underlying article or guidance. A source-grounded design can make inspection easier, but the reader must still establish that the source supports the particular statement.
No actual GPnotebook or iatroX output is reported in this example. It is an evaluation prompt, not a claim that one product asks better follow-up questions in practice.
When the lookup becomes revision
The original comparison treated examination practice as an iatroX use case. That remains relevant, but GPnotebook's current learning activities should not be erased to sharpen the contrast. The more precise distinction is the structure of the learning pathway and its relationship to the reader's assessment.
As described in September 2026, iatroX's Socratic Tutor opens on an attempted question, asks targeted follow-ups and explores the misconception behind the response. An AKT candidate can therefore evaluate the transition from an incorrect answer to focused reasoning. A GP seeking a clinical update may instead prefer a relevant GPnotebook module or podcast. iatroX Tutor
A question count is not a learning objective. For the asthma example, a useful objective might be explaining which missing detail changes the question being asked. That can guide the choice of a module, a reference page or a targeted question session.
Access, cost and professional records
As checked on 20 September 2026, GPnotebook offers a free account and advertises a time-limited Pro trial without card details. Its access model should therefore not be reduced to "everything is paid". Readers should check which functions remain available in their actual tier. GPnotebook access and Pro information
iatroX's UK learning subscription is £99 paid upfront annually, equivalent to £8.25 monthly when billed annually, or £29 monthly. It includes paid question banks, Tutor, planner, simulations and CPD tools; those are not all unrestricted free services. Ask-iatroX and available free question access remain genuinely free.
Both learning documentation and clinical-source inspection deserve attention. The manufacturer's published statement about the UKCA-marked, MHRA-registered Class I clinical-reference component of iatroX concerns that component, not its examination resources. It is not a comparative accuracy result or a reason to disregard a publisher's reference material.
Choose a concise page for a concise question; investigate the AI workflow when it reduces a real navigation problem; choose structured learning when a recurring misconception remains. Keeping both resources can be reasonable when they perform different work, but purchasing duplicate functions without a clear need is not the goal.
Frequently asked questions
Does GPnotebook now have AI answers?
Yes: its website describes AI Answers based on its curated content archive as checked on 20 September 2026. That is a published product feature, not evidence that every generated answer is correct.
Is GPnotebook entirely paid?
No: its current website distinguishes a free account and a Pro offer, including a trial. Check the actual access conditions for the functions you intend to use.
Is iatroX completely free?
Ask-iatroX and available free question access are free, while the broader all-access learning package is paid. The relevant decision is whether the additional learning tools address a need beyond the initial lookup.