Comparison

9 Gaze 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

9 Gaze

This app helps document eye motility and strabismus in nine cardinal positions. It offers an on-screen guide for consistent eye positioning and automatically creates composite images for easy exporting. Users can add strabismus measurements and email or save images for medical records.

Highlights
  • Document eye motility and strabismus
  • On-screen guide for eye positioning
  • Automatic composite image creation
  • Add strabismus measurements
  • Selfie or standard mode
  • Email or save images
Features
Read full description

9 Gaze is an easy, quick, and efficient way to document eye motility and strabismus in the nine cardinal positions of gaze (and 2 head tilts, abnormal head position). The app provides an on-screen guide for eye positioning to assist with image consistency through all photographs. 9Gaze app automatically creates a composite image of the photographs for easy exporting. Designed for a touch-screen interface, you can also quickly add strabismus measurements to your photograph or as a stand-alone image. You can email the images to yourself for importing into your record or save to your camera roll. Features: - Selfie mode or standard mode - On-screen guide for placement of eyes (with autocrop) - Automatic creation of the composite image of all 9(+2) positions of gaze - Ability to skip gaze directions (or skip to end) - Re-take any picture - Turn flash on or off - Landscape and portrait modes - Ability to document name, ID number, date of birth, and date of picture Save time with 9 Gaze! Disclaimer: No information or photos are ever saved within the app. It is the user's responsibility to protect any and all protected health information (PHI) obtained by the user. If you choose to save images to camera roll, it is highly suggested to encrypt your phone and turn off iCloud photo backup. When emailing photos, please make sure your email is HIPAA secure. This is not a medical device. Do not use app to diagnose or treat any medical conditions.

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

9 Gaze4 screens
IOL Reference4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: IOL Reference at weekly against 9 Gaze's every 2 months. 9 Gaze's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 — 4.6 for 9 Gaze against 4.7 for IOL Reference. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 15 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of 9 Gaze's written reviews are positive against 89% of IOL Reference's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

9 Gaze ships an update every 2 months, IOL Reference weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
9 Gaze versus IOL Reference: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter9 GazeIOL Reference
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (22 ratings)4.7 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB823 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSee Vision, LLCGurpal Virdi

Customer experience

9 Gaze

All ratings22 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

IOL Reference

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

In-app purchases

None

9 Gaze

No in-app purchases

None

IOL Reference

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 9 Gaze free?
9 Gaze is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is IOL Reference free?
IOL Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 9 Gaze or IOL Reference?
IOL Reference is rated higher. 9 Gaze averages 4.6 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while IOL Reference averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.
Do 9 Gaze or IOL Reference have ads?
Neither 9 Gaze nor IOL Reference shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 9 Gaze or IOL Reference?
9 Gaze ships an update every 2 months, and IOL Reference weekly. Most recently, 9 Gaze was updated on October 12, 2026 and IOL Reference on October 14, 2026.

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