# AAO Ophthalmic Education vs IOL Reference

The clearest difference is update cadence: IOL Reference at weekly against AAO Ophthalmic Education's every 3 months. AAO Ophthalmic Education's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). On price, ratings volume, 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.

AAO Ophthalmic Education holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of AAO Ophthalmic Education's written reviews are positive against 89% of IOL Reference's.

AAO Ophthalmic Education ships an update every 3 months, IOL Reference weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | AAO Ophthalmic Education | IOL Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aao-ophthalmic-education/id1455960271/reviews)** | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iol-reference/id1626671895/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 88.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 84 MB | 823 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [American Academy of Ophthalmology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/665817223) | [Gurpal Virdi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626671897) |

## What reviewers say

### AAO Ophthalmic Education

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aao-ophthalmic-education/id1455960271)

Access clinical news, videos, and quizzes on eye disorders and care. Stay updated with daily content tailored to your preferences, and quickly look up information from trusted sources.

**Highlights:** Personalized content feed, Wills Eye Manual lookup, New content alerts, Videos, news articles, quizzes, Bookmark articles and videos, EyeWiki articles

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### IOL Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iol-reference/id1626671895)

This ophthalmology utility helps surgeons find FDA-approved intraocular lenses. It features a searchable database of nearly 10,000 lenses, updated with new approvals and changes. The app also serves as a social media and networking platform for eye care professionals.

**Highlights:** Searchable IOL database, FDA-approved lens catalog, Database updates, Ophthalmology networking, Eye care tools

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AAO Ophthalmic Education free?

AAO Ophthalmic Education is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is IOL Reference free?

IOL Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AAO Ophthalmic Education or IOL Reference?

AAO Ophthalmic Education is rated higher. AAO Ophthalmic Education averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while IOL Reference averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.

### Do AAO Ophthalmic Education or IOL Reference have ads?

Neither AAO Ophthalmic Education nor IOL Reference shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AAO Ophthalmic Education or IOL Reference?

AAO Ophthalmic Education ships an update every 3 months, and IOL Reference weekly. Most recently, AAO Ophthalmic Education was updated on October 24, 2026 and IOL Reference on October 24, 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.*