Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 200+ ophthalmic conditions
  • Expert diagnosis and treatment tips
  • High-quality images
  • Step-by-step protocols
  • Quick-reference tables
  • Expanded video library
Features
Read full description

"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

About

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.

Highlights
  • Searchable IOL database
  • FDA-approved lens catalog
  • Database updates
  • Ophthalmology networking
  • Eye care tools
Features
Read full description

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

The Wills Eye Manual4 screens
IOL Reference4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
The Wills Eye Manual versus IOL Reference: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Wills Eye ManualIOL Reference
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (126 ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings126 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB823 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperSkyscape Medpresso IncGurpal Virdi

Customer experience

The Wills Eye Manual

All ratings126 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

IOL Reference

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

The Wills Eye Manual

Subscriptions7
  • 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
Show 4 more
  • 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
None

IOL Reference

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Wills Eye Manual free?
The Wills Eye Manual is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is IOL Reference free?
IOL Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Wills Eye Manual or IOL Reference?
IOL Reference is rated higher. The Wills Eye Manual averages 4.7 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while IOL Reference averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do The Wills Eye Manual or IOL Reference have ads?
The Wills Eye Manual shows ads; IOL Reference does not.
Which is updated more often, The Wills Eye Manual or IOL Reference?
The Wills Eye Manual ships an update every 5 months, and IOL Reference weekly. Most recently, The Wills Eye Manual was updated on November 2, 2026 and IOL Reference on October 24, 2026.

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