The Wills Eye Manual vs IOL Reference
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Wills Eye Manual
This pocket guide offers expert diagnosis and treatment tips for over 200 ophthalmic conditions. It features high-quality images, step-by-step protocols, and quick-reference tables, making it ideal for eye care professionals and trainees.
- 200+ ophthalmic conditions
- Expert diagnosis and treatment tips
- High-quality images
- Step-by-step protocols
- Quick-reference tables
- Expanded video library
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"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. In-App purchase required to unlock all content. The Wills Eye Manual®, 9th Edition is the ultimate pocket guide for eye care! Packed with expert diagnosis and treatment tips, high-quality images, and step-by-step protocols, it’s perfect for ophthalmologists, optometrists, and trainees. Quick-reference tables and online videos make mastering eye emergencies easy—your go-to resource for confident patient care! For more than 35 years, The Wills Eye Manual, originally edited by Drs. Christopher J. Rapuano and Mark A. Friedberg, has remained a best-selling source of authoritative guidance on treating ocular disorders in an office, emergency room, or hospital setting. Offering information on more than 200 ophthalmic conditions, effective recommendations from initial workup and diagnosis through extended treatment, and a concise outline format designed for portability and quick reference, the ninth edition of this trusted manual is a comprehensive, high-yield resource for both trainees and seasoned practitioners. - Provides current, superbly illustrated information on 200+ ophthalmic conditions in a handy, portable manual, along with extensive multimedia content - Offers easily accessible clinical recommendations for evaluation, diagnosis, workup, and treatment - Addresses changing trends in oculoplastics, glaucoma, cornea, pediatrics, neuro-ophthalmology, uveitis, retina, and more - Includes an expanded video library covering a wide range of common procedures with step-by-step narration, carefully selected to complement key techniques - Contains up-to-date content from cover to cover, with all chapters written and edited by the residents and attending ophthalmologists at one of the busiest and largest eye hospitals in the country Content licensed from printed ISBN 13: 9781975243722 Content licensed from printed ISBN 10: 1975243722 SUBSCRIPTION : Please purchase a yearly auto-renewing subscription to receive content access and continuous updates. Your subscription automatically renews every year, so you always have the latest content. Yearly auto-renewing payments- $94.99 Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be disabled at any time by going to your device “Settings” and tapping “iTunes & App Store”. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable." If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-3000 Privacy Policy - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Author(s): Christopher J. RAPUANO Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
IOL Reference
This ophthalmology utility helps surgeons find FDA-approved intraocular lenses. It features a searchable database of nearly 10,000 lenses, updated with new approvals and changes. The app also serves as a social media and networking platform for eye care professionals.
- Searchable IOL database
- FDA-approved lens catalog
- Database updates
- Ophthalmology networking
- Eye care tools
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IOL Reference is a cross-platform ophthalmology utility, social media, and networking service that provides users with a wide array of eye care tools to optimize their outcomes. This unique app allows surgeons to quickly search for an FDA-approved, currently marketed intraocular lens (IOLs) that meets their needs and specifications. The database contains almost 10,000 individually cataloged lenses and will be updated to include newly FDA-approved IOLs, changes to current lenses, and corrections. This app was created by Gurpal Virdi, MD and Matt Hirabayashi, MD
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IOL Reference at none against The Wills Eye Manual's 7. IOL Reference also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). The Wills Eye Manual's advantage is ratings volume (126 vs 15) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, rating and device support 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
Both are free to download. The Wills Eye Manual sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $48.99 per 3 months. IOL Reference asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for The Wills Eye Manual against 4.7 for IOL Reference. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Wills Eye Manual has 126 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of The Wills Eye Manual's written reviews are positive against 89% of IOL Reference's.
The Wills Eye Manual ships an update every 5 months, IOL Reference weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Wills Eye Manual | IOL Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (126 ratings) | 4.7 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 126 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 823 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Skyscape Medpresso Inc | Gurpal Virdi |
Customer experience
The Wills Eye Manual
IOL Reference
In-app purchases
The Wills Eye Manual
- The Wills Eye Manual 3M Sub$48.993 Months
- The Wills Eye Manual 6M Sub$63.996 Months
- 25% off-Wills Eye Manual 1YSub$71.991 Year
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- Wills Eye Manual 1Y offer Sub$75.991 Year
- 20% off-Wills Eye Manual 1YSub$75.991 Year
- 15% off-Wills Eye Manual 1YSub$80.991 Year
- The Wills Eye Manual 1Y Sub$94.991 Year
IOL Reference
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Wills Eye Manual free?
Is IOL Reference free?
Which has better reviews, The Wills Eye Manual or IOL Reference?
Do The Wills Eye Manual or IOL Reference have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Wills Eye Manual or IOL Reference?
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