Comparison

CCU Guide vs MCSAID

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

Head to head
About

CCU Guide

A comprehensive medical resource for cardiology professionals and students, offering quick access to essential information, clinical trials, and diagnostic tools. It provides a concise bedside reference for patient care, covering everything from physical examinations to advanced treatment recommendations.

Highlights
  • Cardiology clinical trials summaries
  • Patient care bedside resource
  • EKG interpretation and algorithms
  • Cardiac medication details
  • 60+ medical calculators
  • Cardiac catheterization review
  • Rhythm analyzer database
Features
Read full description

"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. In-App purchase required to unlock all content. A concise bedside resource covering the wide-ranging information you need to care for cardiology patients. Essential for everyone from attending cardiologists and fellows to nurses, physician assistants, students, and trainees. The content spans both basic and advanced knowledge including: * Principles of physical examination and symptom assessment * Interpretation of EKG rhythms and invasive monitoring * Cardiac medications * Disease classification systems * Evidence-based medicine including leading clinical trials underlying current treatment recommendations Plus, you'll find innovative features such as: * 60+ calculators for rapid analysis of data ranging from the simple (aortic valve area) to the complex (GRACE risk score, PE prediction) * Cardiac Catheterization review info including coronary artery anatomy, catheter basics, and images of standard views with labels * Details of 20+ classification systems in various areas ranging from simple (NYHA Class) to the complex (GCS, TIMI stable & unstable angina risk) * Concise code blue algorithms, including medication doses and routes * Basic echo review material, including normal values for valves and chambers, basic formulae, and images of standard views with labeled structures. Additionally, includes basics of scanning technique/sequencing and image interpretation for those nights on call when you’re the tech. * EKG criteria in a concise, easy reference * EP basics including a glossary of common terms and programming modalities, interrogation strategies and normal values * General cardiology basics, including concise entries on common diagnoses, tips/structure to organize a clinical day on the wards or in the unit, and review of basic cardiac anatomy * Physical exam information, including analysis of murmurs, maneuvers, and common findings * The rhythm analyzer – a searchable database of heart rhythms with definitions and clinical significance; can be narrowed by various features (QRS width, regularity, etc) to help you focus in on a diagnosis. Includes information on mechanisms of electrical initiation and conduction within the heart. * Almost 20 risk calculators and assessment tools, for various conditions including MI, angina, PE, a-fib, CHF and for procedures such as PCI and CABG – and many others * 100+ of the most important cardiology trials, summarized and categorized, with as much detail as you want. This information is the foundation of much of what we do in cardiology, and is fertile pimping material. No extraneous information – just what you need to know * No internet connection is required to access the content after the initial download. Find information quickly using powerful SmartSearch technology. Search part of term for those hard to spell medical terms. CCU Guide is updated every 6 months with the most current information, including relevant trials and new drug information. An amazing value! SUBSCRIPTION : Please purchase a yearly auto-renewing subscription to receive content access and available updates. Yearly auto-renewing payments- $4.99 Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be disabled at any time by going to your device “Settings” and tapping “iTunes & App Store”. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-3000 Privacy Policy - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Author(s): Steven D. Anisman, MD, FACC

About

MCSAID

Features
Read full description

MCSAID is an educational application dedicated to the topic of mechanical cardiocirculatory support for patients with cardiogenic shock. A basic section introduces the definitions and classifications of cardiogenic shock as well as some of the common devices used for hemodynamic support in unstable patients. There is an algorithm for helping understand the decision process depending on key clinical variables such as cardiac output and PAPI. There are also several weaning and escalation algorithm. A calculator section is available for some common hemodynamic variables used in MCS decision-making and is available for quick-reference throughout the algorithm. MCSAID is an educational application for medical professionals and is not intended for making medical diagnoses. Medical decisions must be made by licensed professionals with the entire context of a patient’s medical history. If you are seeking a medical diagnosis, contact your physician and if you are experiencing a medical emergency, call your local emergency medical services.

Screenshots

CCU Guide4 screens
MCSAID4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MCSAID at none against CCU Guide's 5. MCSAID also leads on ads (none vs shown). CCU Guide's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 40 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price 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. CCU Guide sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.79 per year. MCSAID asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CCU Guide ships an update every 4 months, MCSAID every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on August 16, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
CCU Guide versus MCSAID: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCCU GuideMCSAID
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (14 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 40 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size144 MB46 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperSkyscape Medpresso IncCardiology Apps LLC

In-app purchases

5 purchases

CCU Guide

Subscriptions4
  • 25% off for Limited Period$3.791 Year
  • 20% off for Limited Period$3.991 Year
  • 15% off for Limited Period$4.291 Year
Show 1 more
  • CCU Guide 1/Y Sub7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cardiac Care Unit Guide$4.99
None

MCSAID

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CCU Guide free?
CCU Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MCSAID free?
MCSAID is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CCU Guide or MCSAID have ads?
CCU Guide shows ads; MCSAID does not.
Which is updated more often, CCU Guide or MCSAID?
CCU Guide ships an update every 4 months, and MCSAID every 40 months. Most recently, CCU Guide was updated on August 16, 2026 and MCSAID on September 12, 2026.

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