Comparison

BackpackEMR vs Chartnote

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BackpackEMR

This lightweight electronic medical records system is designed for remote areas with limited internet and power. It enables offline data sharing between devices, ensuring continuous operation and no data loss during power outages. Features include streamlined workflows, specialty modules, and secure, encrypted data storage.

Highlights
  • Offline data-sharing network
  • Streamlined patient flow
  • Specialty modules
  • Voice-to-text integration
  • Secure, encrypted data
  • Integrated patient photos
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

BackpackEMR is a light-weight, electronic medical records (EMR) system for use in rural areas. Our app is often used for medical outreaches to remote communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where access to the internet and electricity is often limited. This is the first EMR to share data with other clinic devices without using a local server, which requires electricity, or cloud server, which requires the internet. BackpackEMR enables a "no single point of failure" system where data is stored on each device, and data is shared without consistent power or the internet. So in a clinic where the power goes out, the clinic seamlessly continues to run, and no data is ever lost. Key features: • Offline data-sharing network • Easy-to-use screens • Low-clicks and less typing with: - Streamlined flow - Modules by specialty - Custom drop-down values - Voice-to-text integration • Secure, encrypted data • Integrated patients and exam photos • Available in multiple languages • Patients flow through station queues

About

Chartnote

Streamline your medical documentation with AI-powered transcription, voice charting, and customizable templates. Focus more on patient care and less on administrative tasks with this efficient digital assistant.

Highlights
  • Voice Chart transcription
  • AI Scribe for clinical notes
  • Pre-built and custom snippets/templates
  • Speech-to-text dictation
  • SOAP note templates
  • Secure medical documentation
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Chartnote Mobile – AI Scribe for Medical Documentation Turn patient conversations into complete clinical notes—automatically. Chartnote’s AI Scribe listens during patient encounters and generates accurate, structured medical notes in seconds. Whether you’re in clinic, hospital, or on the go, Chartnote helps you document faster and spend more time with patients. AI Scribe (Core Feature): Automatically generates SOAP notes from patient conversations Designed for real clinical workflows Reduces charting time and after-hours documentation Medical Dictation & Voice Chart: High-accuracy medical speech-to-text Dictate notes or capture full encounters Works seamlessly across specialties Smart Templates & Snippets: Create and customize your own note structure and style Access thousands of medical snippets or dot phrases Speed up repetitive documentation Built for Clinicians Family Medicine, Emergency, Internal Medicine, Urgent Care, and more Use at bedside, between patients, or after clinic Secure and reliable for healthcare workflows Get Started Free Basic includes: 15 AI Scribe notes per month Transfer notes into any web-based EMR Custom templates & smart snippets Existing users can upgrade to Chartnote Pro or Max. Chartnote Pro Up to 100 AI Scribe notes per month Unlimited Copilot tools Chartnote Max Unlimited AI Scribe notes Subscription Details: Before completing payment, you'll see the plan price, charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and on renewal, varying by plan and country. Subscriptions renew monthly or yearly, depending on your plan. Avoid auto-renewal by turning it off at least 24 hours before your subscription renews in your iTunes account settings. Manage and cancel subscriptions via the App Store account settings after purchase. What Clinicians are Saying: "it has been a game changer in managing my patient's care." “Chartnote is super helpful in writing notes. It will save you a significant amount of time.” Join our Community: We'd love to hear from you! Send feedback, comments, or requests for technical support via our help page: https://help.chartnote.com. Useful Links: Terms of Use: https://chartnote.com/termsofuse Privacy Policy: https://chartnote.com/privacypolicy

Screenshots

BackpackEMR3 screens
Chartnote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chartnote at 90% against BackpackEMR's 0%. Chartnote also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (597 vs 4). BackpackEMR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Chartnote sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per month. BackpackEMR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chartnote holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chartnote has 597 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of BackpackEMR's written reviews are positive against 90% of Chartnote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BackpackEMR ships an update every 2 months, Chartnote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
BackpackEMR versus Chartnote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackpackEMRChartnote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.8 (597 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews90.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4597 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#49 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB33 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBinary BridgeStatNote Inc

Customer experience

BackpackEMR

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Chartnote

All ratings597 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral0.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

BackpackEMR

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Chartnote

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • 2FA is buggy, clunky, and tedious
  • Transcription frequently misses common words
  • Transcription of medical words is often incorrect
  • Cannot correct transcription errors as they occur
  • Poor interfacing between app and website
Show 2 more
  • Customer support has not responded
  • App does not allow use of website for a note once transcribed in app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Make MFA/2FA optional
  • Improve real-time error correction
  • Enhance transcription accuracy for common and medical words
  • Improve app and website interface integration

In-app purchases

None

BackpackEMR

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Chartnote

Subscriptions6
  • Chartnote Professional Monthly7 Days trial$15.991 Month
  • Chartnote Pro Monthly14 Days trial$39.001 Month
  • Chartnote Max Monthly14 Days trial$99.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Chartnote Max Monthly7 Days trial2 variants$99.991 Month
  • Chartnote Professional Yearly7 Days trial$169.991 Year
  • Chartnote Max Yearly14 Days trial$999.991 Year
One-time3
  • 65 AI Credits$39.00
  • 330 AI Credits$169.00
  • 660 AI Credits$229.00

Questions

Is BackpackEMR free?
BackpackEMR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chartnote free?
Chartnote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BackpackEMR or Chartnote?
Chartnote is rated higher. BackpackEMR averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Chartnote averages 4.8 from 597 ratings.
Do BackpackEMR or Chartnote have ads?
Neither BackpackEMR nor Chartnote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BackpackEMR or Chartnote?
BackpackEMR ships an update every 2 months, and Chartnote every 2 weeks. Most recently, BackpackEMR was updated on October 22, 2026 and Chartnote on November 3, 2026.

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