Comparison

EchoRef vs Emergency Manual

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

Head to head
About

EchoRef

This educational reference app provides comprehensive information on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), echocardiography, and cardiac measurements. It includes lessons on interventional procedures and hemodynamic calculations for medical professionals.

Highlights
  • Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)
  • Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)
  • Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
  • Cardiac dimensions and valve measurements
  • Hemodynamic and ultrasound calculations
  • Interventional procedure lessons
Features
Read full description

Echocardiography and point-of-care ultrasound organized for the bedside. EchoRef is a comprehensive echocardiography and ultrasound reference for physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, sonographers, medical students, and other healthcare learners. Review TEE, TTE, and POCUS videos, check cardiac measurements and diagnostic criteria, evaluate native and prosthetic valves, and perform commonly used ultrasound and hemodynamic calculations, all in one focused reference. FEATURES • Educational video library covering 2D and 3D TEE, interventional echocardiography, mechanical circulatory support, and clinical cases • POCUS instruction for cardiac, lung, abdominal, vascular, and peripheral nerve block examinations • Cardiac anatomy measurements and reference values for chamber size, ventricular function, diastology, and vascular structures • Native valve assessment for aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonic stenosis and regurgitation • Prosthetic valve reference for surgical valves, TAVR, and prosthesis evaluation • Ultrasound and hemodynamic calculators for valve area, cardiac output, ventricular function, filling pressures, vascular resistance, shunts, fluid responsiveness, and more • Cardiac equations, hemodynamic reference values, and ultrasound physics • Clinical protocols, focused examination guidance, findings atlas, and reporting documentation • Acquisition guidance, measurement tips, common pitfalls, and related clinical content • Global search, favorites, related links, and personal notes EchoRef connects ultrasound physics, image acquisition, echocardiographic interpretation, and bedside decision-making. Whether you are learning standard views, reviewing an unfamiliar finding, evaluating valve disease, or checking a calculation, the app makes relevant information easy to find. Created by Rishi Kumar, MD, FACC (“RK.MD”), an academic adult cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and cardiovascular ICU intensivist committed to free, open-access medical education. Learn more at https://rk.md EchoRef is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for professional judgment, diagnosis, or treatment. Clinical findings and calculations must be independently verified and interpreted in the context of the individual patient. Seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Do not disregard or delay professional medical advice because of information provided by this app.

About

Emergency Manual

This free medical app provides cognitive aids and checklists for 25 critical perioperative events. It serves as a drug dosing reference and includes crisis management tips for clinicians. Designed for self-study and real-time use during emergencies.

Highlights
  • Cognitive aids for 25 critical perioperative events
  • Checklists for emergencies
  • Drug dosing and concentration reference
  • Crisis resource management tips
  • Suitable for self-study
  • Real-time cognitive aid during crises
Features
Read full description

Despite best intentions, well-trained clinicians often miss known key steps during crises. This free perioperative Emergency Manual by the Stanford Anesthesia Cognitive Aid Program (SACAP) includes a set of cognitive aids and checklists for 25 critical perioperative events including cardiac arrest, bronchospasm, LAST, malignant hyperthermia, unanticipated difficult airway, and the rest of the key perioperative chief complaints. It includes crisis resource management tips, and serves as a drug dosing and concentration reference for relevant medications. The app can be used for self-study, and most importantly, as a cognitive aid during perioperative crises. The Emergency Manual has been used by thousands of anesthesiologists around the world, and is now available on the iPhone! Disclaimers: The material in this app is not intended to be a substitute for sound medical knowledge and training. Clinicians should always use their clinical judgment and decision making for patient management. Departure from the information presented here is encouraged as appropriate, since situations can vary widely.

Screenshots

EchoRef4 screens
Emergency Manual4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: EchoRef at 1.4K against Emergency Manual's 12. Emergency Manual's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for EchoRef against 5.0 for Emergency Manual. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EchoRef has 1.4K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
EchoRef versus Emergency Manual: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEchoRefEmergency Manual
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.4K ratings)5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.4K — better12
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB5 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperRishi KumarRobert Arrigo

Customer experience

EchoRef

All ratings1,387 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Emergency Manual

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

EchoRef

No in-app purchases

None

Emergency Manual

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EchoRef free?
EchoRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Emergency Manual free?
Emergency Manual is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EchoRef or Emergency Manual?
Emergency Manual is rated higher. EchoRef averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while Emergency Manual averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.
Do EchoRef or Emergency Manual have ads?
Neither EchoRef nor Emergency Manual shows ads.

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