# Essentials Handbook vs ABS SCORE

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Essentials Handbook at 100% against ABS SCORE's 6%. Essentials Handbook also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.6). ABS SCORE's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Essentials Handbook holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ABS SCORE has 14 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 6% of ABS SCORE's.

Essentials Handbook ships an update monthly, ABS SCORE every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Essentials Handbook | ABS SCORE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essentials-handbook/id1251459425/reviews)** | [1.6 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abs-score/id6478700463/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **14** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 6.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 14 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Center for Physician Education, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217564930) | [American Board of Surgery, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733699269) |

## 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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ABS SCORE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abs-score/id6478700463)

Access a comprehensive question bank for surgical specialties. This app provides scenario-based multiple-choice questions to aid in self-study for surgical residents. Future updates will include additional educational content and mobile-first features.

**Highlights:** Access SCORE Portal Question Bank, 4,000+ scenario-based questions, Six surgical specialties covered, Supports self-study for residents, Future content includes TWIS curricula

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Essentials Handbook free?

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

### Is ABS SCORE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Essentials Handbook or ABS SCORE?

Essentials Handbook is rated higher. Essentials Handbook averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ABS SCORE averages 1.6 from 14 ratings.

### Do Essentials Handbook or ABS SCORE have ads?

Neither Essentials Handbook nor ABS SCORE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Essentials Handbook or ABS SCORE?

Essentials Handbook ships an update monthly, and ABS SCORE every 2 months. Most recently, Essentials Handbook was updated on September 22, 2026 and ABS SCORE on September 30, 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.*