# MSD Manual Professional vs Shaafi

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | MSD Manual Professional | Shaafi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (174 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msd-manual-professional/id1123678257/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaafi/id6470298645/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **174** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 87.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 193 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/718617686) | [Telesom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1637611825) |

## What reviewers say

### MSD Manual Professional

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msd-manual-professional/id1123678257)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive medical reference with extensive coverage
- 🆓 Completely free access to professional medical knowledge
- 📱 Offline functionality for use without internet
- 🎯 Concise and well-organized content for quick reference
- ⚡ Fast and efficient search capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Images and figures not displaying properly
- 🐛 App crashes or closes unexpectedly
- 🐛 Dark mode rendering issues with black screens
- 🐛 Navigation problems when returning from tables/links
- 🐛 Slow performance on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Russian language support (most requested)
- Italian language version
- French language translation
- Spanish language option
- German language support


### Shaafi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaafi/id6470298645)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*