EchoRef vs CSWG App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)
- Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)
- Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
- Cardiac dimensions and valve measurements
- Hemodynamic and ultrasound calculations
- Interventional procedure lessons
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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.
CSWG App
This medical app provides three distinct calculators for clinical decision-making in cardiogenic shock. It helps assess shock stage, mortality risk, invasive hemodynamic parameters, and shock phenotypes for optimized patient care.
- Shock Stage Calculator
- Invasive Hemodynamics Calculator
- Congestion Profile Tracking
- Shock Phenotype Calculator
- Mortality Rate Predictions
- Hemodynamic Parameter Calculations
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The CSWG App is a comprehensive tool with three distinct parts and provides valuable calculators to assist clinical decision-making. Part 1: Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Shock Stage Calculator The first page of the app features the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Shock Stage Calculator. This calculator utilizes the CSWG-SCAI shock stage classification system to determine the severity of cardiogenic shock. It provides an accurate assessment of the shock stage, along with the predicted mortality rate for each stage. Additionally, the calculator presents separate mortality predictions for myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (MI-CS) and heart failure-related cardiogenic shock (HF-CS). Furthermore, it offers a predicted probability of stage escalation. Part 2: Invasive Hemodynamics Calculator The second page of the app houses the Invasive Hemodynamics Calculator. This powerful tool enables healthcare professionals to calculate various important parameters related to hemodynamics. With this calculator, users can determine parameters such as cardiac output using the Fick method, cardiac index, cardiac power output, cardiac power index, pulse pressure, aortic pulsatility index, systemic vascular resistance, mean pulmonary artery pressure, right atrial pressure/pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary artery pulsatility index, right ventricular stroke work index, transpulmonary gradient, and diastolic pulmonary gradient. Additionally, the calculator generates a graph that plots left heart filling pressure (PCWP) and right heart filling pressure (CVP or RAP) to aid in the classification of parameters into categories such as "LV congestion," "RV congestion," "Hypovolemic," and "BiV Congestion." Part 3:Congestion Profile Tracking Plot left heart filling pressure (PCWP) and right heart filling pressure (CVP or RAP) to aid in the classification of parameters into categories such as "LV congestion," "RV congestion," "Hypovolemic," and "BiV Congestion." Plot points longitudinally to see trends over time. Part 4: CSWG-SCAI Shock Phenotype Calculator The final part of the app is the CSWG-SCAI Shock Phenotype Calculator. This calculator is designed to determine the shock phenotype based on specific characteristics and clinical indicators. It classifies the shock phenotype into three categories: phenotype I (non-congested), phenotype II (cardio-renal), and phenotype III (cardiometabolic). Additionally, the calculator provides a predicted in-hospital mortality rate for each phenotype, aiding clinicians in risk stratification and treatment planning. The CSWG App for iOS consolidates essential calculators and predictive capabilities in a user-friendly interface, offering a valuable resource for healthcare professionals involved in the management of cardiogenic shock. By facilitating accurate assessments, providing hemodynamic insights, and assisting in the determination of shock phenotypes, this app aims to optimize patient care and outcomes in the challenging context of cardiogenic shock. Please note that this app only presents data published in the literature and should not be a substitute for clinical decision making. The treating clinician/team should use their judgement and experience in clinical decision making.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: CSWG App at every 5 days against EchoRef's every 2 months. CSWG App also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). EchoRef's advantage is ratings volume (1.4K vs 13). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for EchoRef against 5.0 for CSWG App. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EchoRef has 1.4K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two.
EchoRef ships an update every 2 months, CSWG App every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | EchoRef | CSWG App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (1.4K ratings) | 5.0 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Rishi Kumar | Navin Kapur |
Customer experience
EchoRef
CSWG App
In-app purchases
EchoRef
No in-app purchases
CSWG App
No in-app purchases








