Comparison

MSD Manual Professional vs Shaafi

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MSD Manual Professional

Access comprehensive medical information for healthcare professionals and students. This app provides detailed explanations of thousands of conditions, diagnostic options, and treatment strategies, updated regularly by medical experts. It includes photos, illustrations, and instructional videos for procedures and examinations.

Highlights
  • Thousands of medical topics
  • Photos and illustrations
  • Instructional videos
  • Quizzes for knowledge check
  • Medical news and commentary
  • Editorials by experts
Features
Read full description

SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT DOWNLOAD *** Downloading this app is a 2-step process: the first step is a download of the app template, and the second step is a full download of app content. This can take 5 to 10 minutes. Please do not navigate away from the app until both steps have been completed. *** App Permissions Install Settings Note: • We do not collect or use any personal information. There are, however, some permissions necessary for the app to function properly. 1. Photos/Media/Files – This allows the app to store the medical content and multimedia for offline use without requiring the user to reload all the large content when the app updates. 2. Device and App History – This is used only to keep the app and content up to date. The amount of clinical information currently doubles every 18 months and the pace is only getting faster. Stay up-to-date with the MSD Manual Professional App. The MSD Manual Professional App provides health care practitioners and students with clear, practical explanations for thousands of conditions in all major medical and surgical specialties. It covers etiology, pathophysiology, and options for evaluation and treatment. The trusted MSD Manual Professional medical app offers: • Thousands of topics written and updated regularly by more than 350 academic physicians • Photos and Illustrations on thousands of disorders and diseases • “How to” Videos on numerous outpatient procedures and physical examinations. Concise instructional videos by medical experts on these key topics: - Casting and splinting techniques - Orthopedic examinations - Neurologic examinations - Obstetric procedures - Outpatient procedures (including IV lines, tubes, catheters, dislocation reductions and more) • Quizzes* check knowledge of medical disorders, symptoms, and treatments • Medical News and Commentary* covering the most current and important medical topics • Editorials* written by top medical experts *Internet access needed. About MSD Manuals Our mission is simple: We believe that health information is a universal right and that every person is entitled to accurate, accessible and usable medical information. We have a responsibility to protect, preserve and share the best current medical information to enable more informed decisions, enhance relationships between patients and professionals, and improve health care outcomes around the world. That’s why we are making the MSD Manuals available for free in digital form to professionals and patients around the world. No registration or subscription required, and no ads. NOND-1179303-0001 04/16 This mobile application is intended for Healthcare Professionals. For more information please read the End User License Agreement at https://www.msd.com/policy/terms-of-use/home.html. For more information about our privacy practices, please see our privacy commitment at http://www.msdprivacy.com. Adverse Event Reporting: In a country outside the United States, there may be specific procedures in place to address reports of adverse events. Please contact your local MSD office or local health authority for more information. For questions or help with the app, please contact msdmanualsinfo@msd.com

About

Shaafi

Connect with verified medical professionals for online consultations and prescriptions. Patients can book appointments, access health tips, and manage medical history. The platform also facilitates lab test bookings and report uploads.

Highlights
  • Online doctor consultations
  • Prescriptions and medical history
  • Search doctors by specialization
  • Video and chat consultations
  • Lab test booking and reporting
  • Daily health tips
Features
Read full description

Shaafi app Shaafi is a platform that allows medical professionals to give online consultations and medications. Doctor’s registration status is verified and they are allowed to put their fee details so that patients can get the idea of who is going to provide medication at which cost . It gives the patients the opportunity to get consultations from expert doctors at their convenient time and place and provides daily health tips to subscribers. Main Features: - Doctors and patient registrations - Time settings for doctors - Search doctors with specialisations, names and consultation fee ranges - Appointments - Video and chat consultations - Prescriptions and patient medical history reports in PDF format - Easy payment with ZAAD - Daily sms and on app health tips - SMS reminder for new appointment, approval of appointment and coming up appointment. - Transaction history and payment reports - Lab Integration - Patient can search for lab - Pay for Lab tests - Upload your lab Reports - Doctor can prescribe a lab test

Screenshots

MSD Manual Professional4 screens
Shaafi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: MSD Manual Professional at 174 against Shaafi's 1. MSD Manual Professional also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Shaafi's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for MSD Manual Professional against 5.0 for Shaafi. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MSD Manual Professional has 174 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MSD Manual Professional ships an update every 4 months, Shaafi every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
MSD Manual Professional versus Shaafi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMSD Manual ProfessionalShaafi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (174 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings174 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size193 MB83 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperMerck Sharp & Dohme LLCTelesom

Customer experience

MSD Manual Professional

All ratings171 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral2.3%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews278 reviews
Positive87.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative6.5%

Shaafi

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

MSD Manual Professional

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Images and figures not showing in app
  • App crashes on launch or during use
  • Dark mode causes black screen display
  • Navigation back button returns to search results instead of article
  • Download interruption prevents app functionality
Show 7 more
  • Font rendering issues on Mac version
  • Slow performance on certain devices
  • Case studies not displaying properly
  • App resets when minimized
  • Keyboard functionality issues
  • Initialization process hangs indefinitely
  • Incompatibility with iPhone X

Requested features

15 requests
  • Russian language support (most requested)
  • Italian language version
  • French language translation
  • Spanish language option
  • German language support
Show 10 more
  • Vietnamese language addition
  • Portuguese language version
  • Dark mode improvement/fix
  • Annotation/highlighting feature
  • Larger quiz and case study database
  • eGFR calculator for CKD-EPI
  • Clinical algorithms for complex diagnoses
  • EPUB/MOBI format for e-readers
  • Better table display and navigation
  • Improved search and indexing

Shaafi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

MSD Manual Professional

No in-app purchases

None

Shaafi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MSD Manual Professional free?
MSD Manual Professional is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shaafi free?
Shaafi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MSD Manual Professional or Shaafi?
Shaafi is rated higher. MSD Manual Professional averages 4.9 out of 5 from 174 ratings, while Shaafi averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do MSD Manual Professional or Shaafi have ads?
Neither MSD Manual Professional nor Shaafi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MSD Manual Professional or Shaafi?
MSD Manual Professional ships an update every 4 months, and Shaafi every 6 weeks. Most recently, MSD Manual Professional was updated on October 25, 2026 and Shaafi on October 16, 2026.

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