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Head-to-head · Continuing Education Platforms

Medscape Education vs American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Medscape Education #3 in Continuing Education Platforms 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Medscape
American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education #8 in Continuing Education Platforms 8.3/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit ACSM

Medscape Education leads on 1 check, American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreMedscape Education · 8.8/10
  • Free planonly Medscape Education
  • Most featuresAmerican College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education · 3 of 4

Medscape Education scores higher on our rubric for continuing education platforms: 8.8 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

Medscape Education offers free plan; American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education doesn't.

Medscape Education is the better fit for healthcare professionals seeking free CME/CE. American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education is the better fit for fitness professionals earning continuing education credits.

  • Medscape Education fits best

    Healthcare professionals seeking free CME/CE

  • American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education fits best

    Fitness professionals earning continuing education credits

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Medscape Education 8.8/10 Visit ↗ American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.3
Ranking #3 in Continuing Education Platforms #8 in Continuing Education Platforms
Best for Healthcare professionals seeking free CME/CE Fitness professionals earning continuing education credits
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan Not checked yet
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web
Support Email, Docs Email, Phone, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Medscape Education 2/4 · American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education 3/4
Accredited courses ✓ ✓
Credit tracking ✓ ✓
License tracking Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Employer reporting Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Course formats Clinical News Briefs; Patient Simulations; Clinical Cases; Expert Commentary Videos; Conference Coverage online courses, recorded sessions
Supported professions Physicians; nurses; pharmacists; other healthcare professionals health and fitness professionals, clinicians, medical providers
Our review
Pros
  • Thousands of free CME/CE courses across 30+ specialty-focused sites
  • Activity Tracker organizes credit history and certificates
  • Eligible activities offer ABIM Maintenance of Certification points
  • Courses award continuing education credits (CECs) and CME credits.
  • ACSM-earned credits automatically appear in a CEC dashboard.
  • Certificates are viewable, printable and downloadable.
Cons
  • Online tests require learners to meet passing scores
  • Some activities are non-credit, so learners must check activity details
  • Focused on healthcare continuing education rather than general training
  • The platform is web-only.
  • Course access lasts 365 days after purchase.
  • Self-test retakes are unlimited only unless a course specifies otherwise.
Our verdict

Medscape Education is an online continuing professional-development service for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. It offers thousands of free CME/CE courses across more than 30 specialty-focused sites,…

Read the review →

For health and fitness professionals, clinicians and medical providers, ACSM Continuing Education offers an online catalog of courses in exercise science, sports medicine and clinical practice. Courses may award continuing education…

Read the review →
  1. Medscape EducationContinuing Education Platforms 8.8Free plan
  2. American College of Sports Medicine Continuing EducationContinuing Education Platforms 8.3Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Medscape Education — where it wins

    • Thousands of free CME/CE courses across 30+ specialty-focused sites
    • Activity Tracker organizes credit history and certificates
    • Eligible activities offer ABIM Maintenance of Certification points

    Where it doesn't

    • Online tests require learners to meet passing scores
    • Some activities are non-credit, so learners must check activity details
    • Focused on healthcare continuing education rather than general training

  • American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education — where it wins

    • Courses award continuing education credits (CECs) and CME credits.
    • ACSM-earned credits automatically appear in a CEC dashboard.
    • Certificates are viewable, printable and downloadable.

    Where it doesn't

    • The platform is web-only.
    • Course access lasts 365 days after purchase.
    • Self-test retakes are unlimited only unless a course specifies otherwise.
  • Medscape Education8.8/10 · Free plan

    Free CME/CE with specialty-focused courses, credit tracking and certificates.

    Visit MedscapeFull verdict →
  • American College of Sports Medicine Continuing Education8.3/10 · Paid

    A course catalog for earning CECs and CME credits, with automatic ACSM credit tracking.

    Visit ACSMFull verdict →

More comparisons

All continuing education platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update