# Explain Medicine vs General Surgery Instruments

The clearest difference is review sentiment: General Surgery Instruments at 100% against Explain Medicine's 33%. General Surgery Instruments also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Explain Medicine's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 27 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

General Surgery Instruments holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Explain Medicine's written reviews are positive against 100% of General Surgery Instruments's.

Explain Medicine ships an update every 3 months, General Surgery Instruments every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Explain Medicine | General Surgery Instruments |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explain-medicine/id1356577412/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/general-surgery-instruments/id1552025649/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 89 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Medical Joyworks LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/803816939) | [Roman Moiseev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877504595) |

## What reviewers say

### Explain Medicine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explain-medicine/id1356577412)

A quick medical reference for professionals and students, offering evidence-based explanations for over 700 diseases. Ideal for rapid information retrieval during rounds or exam preparation.

**Highlights:** Medical reference for professionals, Explanations for over 700 diseases, Evidence-based information, Fast and easy to use, Designed for students, Quick answers for rounds

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### General Surgery Instruments

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/general-surgery-instruments/id1552025649)

A visual reference for surgical tools, organized by function. Features over 300 high-quality images with descriptions and an interactive quiz mode to test knowledge. Designed for easy navigation and learning.

**Highlights:** 300+ high-quality images, Concise descriptions, Intuitive interface, Interactive 'Check Yourself' mode, Organized by practical use

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Explain Medicine free?

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

### Is General Surgery Instruments free?

General Surgery Instruments is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Explain Medicine or General Surgery Instruments?

General Surgery Instruments is rated higher. Explain Medicine averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while General Surgery Instruments averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do Explain Medicine or General Surgery Instruments have ads?

General Surgery Instruments shows ads; Explain Medicine does not.

### Which is updated more often, Explain Medicine or General Surgery Instruments?

Explain Medicine ships an update every 3 months, and General Surgery Instruments every 27 months. Most recently, Explain Medicine was updated on September 23, 2026 and General Surgery Instruments on August 20, 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.*