# PICU Essentials vs MedStudy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MedStudy at none against PICU Essentials's 1. MedStudy also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). PICU Essentials's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 22%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PICU Essentials sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. MedStudy asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for PICU Essentials against 4.8 for MedStudy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 124 and 199 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of PICU Essentials's written reviews are positive against 22% of MedStudy's.

PICU Essentials ships an update every 6 months, MedStudy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PICU Essentials | MedStudy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picu-essentials/id1207366521/reviews) | [4.8 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medstudy/id6464720933/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 124 | **199** |
| Positive reviews | **55.6% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 130 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Atmosphere Apps, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/334077424) | [MedStudy](https://appshunter.io/developer/966167819) |

## What reviewers say

### PICU Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picu-essentials/id1207366521)

A practical handbook for medical professionals in pediatric intensive care units, drawing on 20 years of experience. Content is peer-reviewed and updated regularly, applicable across various settings. Proceeds support app maintenance and development.

**Highlights:** Practical handbook for PICU professionals, Based on 20 years of PICU practice, Peer-reviewed content, Regular content updates, Applicable in most settings, Supports app development

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $9.99 | per year |


### MedStudy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medstudy/id6464720933)

Access a comprehensive suite of medical study tools, including practice questions, flashcards, video lectures, and audio pearls. Track your progress, bookmark key content, and customize study decks for any stage of your medical education or career.

**Highlights:** Thousands of practice Q&As and flashcards, Board review videos with variable playback speed, Bookmark lectures and take notes, Detailed performance tracking, Offline video and audio downloads, Cross-platform web and mobile access

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PICU Essentials free?

PICU Essentials is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MedStudy free?

MedStudy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PICU Essentials or MedStudy?

PICU Essentials and MedStudy are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 124 and 199 ratings respectively.

### Do PICU Essentials or MedStudy have ads?

Neither PICU Essentials nor MedStudy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PICU Essentials or MedStudy?

PICU Essentials ships an update every 6 months, and MedStudy every 2 months. Most recently, PICU Essentials was updated on August 24, 2026 and MedStudy on September 21, 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.*