# Essentials Handbook vs AROMS

Essentials Handbook and AROMS both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Essentials Handbook's written reviews are positive against 50% of AROMS's. Essentials Handbook also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). AROMS's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (46 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AROMS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. Essentials Handbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

Essentials Handbook holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AROMS has 46 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Essentials Handbook's written reviews are positive against 50% of AROMS's.

Essentials Handbook ships an update every 5 weeks, AROMS weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essentials Handbook | AROMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essentials-handbook/id1251459425/reviews)** | [4.8 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aroms-advancing-oms/id1623757663/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **46** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Center for Physician Education, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217564930) | [Advancing Residents of OMS, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623754712) |

## What reviewers say

### Essentials Handbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essentials-handbook/id1251459425)

This educational handbook provides essential information for physicians covering general hospital procedures, systems, patient care, and infection control. It serves as a comprehensive resource for medical professionals.

**Highlights:** General Ins & Outs, Systems Information, Patient Care Guidelines, Infection Control Protocols

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### AROMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aroms-advancing-oms/id1623757663)

This educational app offers comprehensive study materials for oral and maxillofacial surgery professionals. It features lecture series, flashcards, a question bank, landmark papers, surgical videos, and an AI-powered study assistant. It also provides specialized preparation for oral board exams.

**Highlights:** Extensive lecture series, 7,000+ high-yield flashcards, 2,200+ clinical practice questions, Landmark paper archive with summaries, 200+ surgical video recordings, AI-powered study assistant, Oral board exam preparation course

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $29.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $259.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essentials Handbook free?

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

### Is AROMS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Essentials Handbook or AROMS?

Essentials Handbook is rated higher. Essentials Handbook averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while AROMS averages 4.8 from 46 ratings.

### Do Essentials Handbook or AROMS have ads?

Neither Essentials Handbook nor AROMS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essentials Handbook or AROMS?

Essentials Handbook ships an update every 5 weeks, and AROMS weekly. Most recently, Essentials Handbook was updated on November 2, 2026 and AROMS on November 12, 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.*