Comparison

9 Gaze vs polaHelp

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

polaHelp

Features
Read full description

**1.** As an optometrist or ophthalmologist, you often encounter situations where the patient cannot clearly express how they perceive the Polatest images. This application makes the examination easier: the patient can adjust on the screen what they see during the Polatest, while the app helps you calculate how many prism diopters may be required. **Polatest images:** * Cross * Cross with fusion stimulus * Horizontal/vertical clip * Horizontal/vertical clock * Double clock --- **2.** The near Maddox-cross feature presents the well-known examination in a modernized form. Place a Maddox lens in front of one of the patient’s eyes, and the central dot will turn into a line, allowing you to detect deviations at reading distance. --- **3.** When examining children, it can sometimes be difficult to keep their attention during the procedure. The app helps maintain their focus by showing random figures designed for children. --- **4.** For patients suffering from central visual field loss (e.g., AMD), you can teach them to use the extrafoveal areas of the retina for reading. Using the red circle, you can guide their fixation while they attempt to read the text. You may support this with yoked prisms, and you can adjust the size and position of both the circle and the text to help them find the most effective gaze positions. --- **5.** Once you have determined the necessary prism values, the built-in calculator helps you work out how to prescribe or order the glasses. You can use the commonly applied horizontal and vertical axes, but in special situations, you can also calculate with oblique prisms. --- **Note:** Under **Settings → Apps → polaHelp**, set the distance between the patient and the Polatest screen! Since any application may contain errors, always double-check the prism diopter values. I cannot take responsibility for incorrectly manufactured glasses based on the app’s results. The application is primarily designed for iPad.

Screenshots

9 Gaze4 screens
polaHelp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 9 Gaze at Free against polaHelp's $9.99. 9 Gaze also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On update cadence, ads 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

9 Gaze is free to download; polaHelp costs $9.99 up front. polaHelp sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 9 Gaze asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

9 Gaze ships an update every 2 months, polaHelp every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
9 Gaze versus polaHelp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter9 GazepolaHelp
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating4.6 (22 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings22 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB4 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperSee Vision, LLCAndras Balint

In-app purchases

None

9 Gaze

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

polaHelp

One-time1
  • polaHelpPro$9.99

Questions

Is 9 Gaze free?
9 Gaze is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is polaHelp free?
polaHelp costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do 9 Gaze or polaHelp have ads?
Neither 9 Gaze nor polaHelp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 9 Gaze or polaHelp?
9 Gaze ships an update every 2 months, and polaHelp every 6 weeks. Most recently, 9 Gaze was updated on October 24, 2026 and polaHelp on October 20, 2026.

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