Comparison

Picmonic Medical School Study vs Sketchy Learning

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

Head to head
About

Picmonic Medical School Study

This app uses visual mnemonics and spaced repetition to help medical students and other healthcare professionals retain vast amounts of information. It offers engaging video lessons and quizzes designed to make studying more efficient and effective, leading to better exam performance.

Highlights
  • Visual mnemonic videos
  • Spaced repetition quizzing
  • 2,000+ video lessons
  • 24,000+ key facts
  • Multiple choice quizzes
  • Daily quizzes
  • Textbook mappings
Features
Read full description

Get through medical school by learning using real medical imagery alongside consistent character symbols! For FREE you can access our most popular Videos, Multiple Choice Quiz Questions, and Daily Quiz with Spaced Repetition for 5 days. Get unlimited access with an affordable subscription. Ridiculously efficient. Unbelievably effective. Make Studying Fun & Remember More in Less Time with Picmonic, the world’s best visual mnemonic video & spaced repetition quizzing study tool that’s research-proven to increase memory retention 331%! 2,000+ entertaining 3-minute picture mnemonic video + quiz lessons covering 24,000+ key facts. Ditch boring textbook memorization, recall information faster and retain it longer to ace your basic sciences / didactic courses, clinicals and boards exams with less study time using unforgettable images and stories...it's Cliff Notes meets Saturday morning cartoons! • Program Options: Medical (MD/DO/NMD), Physician Assistant, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Pre-Health / MCAT, Medical Terminology • Courses: Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Anatomy, Embryology, Internal Med, Infectious Disease, Surgery, Psych, Peds, OB, Derm • Curriculum: Systems or Organ Based • Study Guides: USMLE Step 1, USMLE Step 2 CK, COMLEX, PANCE® 2019 blueprint, NPTE, NBCOT • Textbook mappings: First Aid, Pathoma and PANCE Prep Pearls -- follow along page by page! “My biggest regret about Picmonic is that I did not start using it sooner. I am so grateful for Picmonic!!! Picmonic was a life changer! Made review easier and more fun.” Andee G, Med Grad @Oklahoma “My grades have really improved since using Picmonic…I wish I would have known how to effectively use it in my first and second semesters.” Jonathan K, MS2 @Ross “I massively underestimated how useful Picmonic would be! I signed up with to test it with the intention of cancelling within the first seven days! But it has changed my life at med school!” Jake C, MS2 “My only regret with Picmonic was not finding out about it at the beginning of PA school! As soon as I got it, I immediately improved in studying more efficiently!” Joe H, PA-S2 @Mercer “Picmonic literally saved me during my first round of PA school midterms and I can’t wait to keep using it for the next couple years!” Sherin J, PA-S1 @Yale Struggling to remember all the high-yield facts from First Aid, Pathoma, Robbins & Goljan, or Boards and Beyond? Picmonic forms a mental scaffold of memory anchors so that you show up to lecture prepared to remember everything you learn so you ace course exams and then your USMLE Q Bank score goes 250+. Get a question wrong with UWorld USMLE, Osmosis, Firecracker, USMLE RX, SMARTYPANCE or Kaplan QBanks, hop over to Picmonic to review and start enjoying school! Read more information Medscape style and save time vs watching Amboss or Lecturio videos. Repetition is key to success, so utilize our Anki / Memorang style Spaced Repetition Daily Quiz on your phone on the go to make any moment a study moment :) *NURSING & PRE-HEALTH students, click “Picmonic Developer” under this description to download: -- Picmonic for Nursing: RN, LPN, Nurse Practitioner -- Picmonic for Anatomy & Physiology: Allied Health, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Paramedic, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology and more! Premium Access: Upgrade for all features & content in your area of study. Monthly, semesterly and annual subscriptions are available, prices vary by product & location. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period will then be forfeited. Subscriptions automatically renew and your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, at the original subscription price, unless auto-renew is turned off thru iTunes Account Settings prior to being charged. https://picmonic.com/pages/terms-of-use"

About

Sketchy Learning

This app transforms complex medical subjects into memorable visual lessons and interactive patient scenarios. It's designed to help students learn faster, master exams, and build clinical confidence. Engage with high-yield content and practice real-world reasoning.

Highlights
  • Visual lessons for memorization
  • Interactive patient case simulations
  • High-yield exam content
  • Quizzes and custom tests
  • Customizable playlists
  • Mobile-friendly learning
Features
Read full description

Sketchy turns tough medical content into unforgettable visual lessons and interactive patient cases, so you learn faster, ace exams, and feel ready in the clinic. Built for how medical, PA, NP, and premed students actually learn, Sketchy helps you make sense of high-yield topics fast and recall them when it counts. Watch engaging visual lessons that lock in tough topics like pharm, micro, path, and more. Apply what you’ve learned to a clinical scenario with interactive patient cases that build real clinical reasoning skills. Whether you are squeezing in a quick review between classes or deep in exam and board prep, Sketchy goes where you go and helps concepts stick for the long haul. What you’ll love about Sketchy: * Unforgettable visual lessons that make hard concepts easy to remember * Interactive symbol explorer for quick visual lesson review * Interactive patient case sims to practice thinking like a clinician * High-yield content for exams, boards, and clinical rotations * Quizzes and custom tests that reinforce memory and reveal weak spots * Customizable playlists to organize lessons and cases your way * Mobile-friendly learning for quick reviews or deep dives Loved by over half a million students and created by expert clinicians, Sketchy helps learners feel more confident in class, on rotations, and on exam day. Terms: https://www.sketchy.com/terms Privacy: https://www.sketchy.com/privacy

Screenshots

Picmonic Medical School Study4 screens
Sketchy Learning3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Picmonic Medical School Study at none against Sketchy Learning's shown. Picmonic Medical School Study also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 53%). Sketchy Learning's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.5). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Picmonic Medical School Study sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Sketchy Learning sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $289.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Picmonic Medical School Study against 4.9 for Sketchy Learning. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 874 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Picmonic Medical School Study's written reviews are positive against 53% of Sketchy Learning's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Picmonic Medical School Study ships an update monthly, Sketchy Learning every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Picmonic Medical School Study versus Sketchy Learning: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPicmonic Medical School StudySketchy Learning
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (1.2K ratings)4.9 (874 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.3% of reviews — better52.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K — better874
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.515.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size117 MB68 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPicmonic - The Visual Learning CommunitySketchy Group, LLC

Customer experience

Picmonic Medical School Study

All ratings1,152 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive77.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.7%

Sketchy Learning

All ratings54 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive52.8%
Neutral13.9%
Negative33.3%

User reviews

Picmonic Medical School Study

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Free picmonic per day
  • 👍 Engaging and helpful learning tool
  • 🤩 Surprisingly satisfying experience
  • 🧠 Improves memory retention and recall

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frustrating bugs and glitches
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🙅‍♀️ Lack of understanding from customer service
  • 📚 Missing important content and depth

Sketchy Learning

From 874 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for visual learners
  • 👍 Makes learning fun and memorable
  • 👍 High-yield material relevant to exams
  • 👍 Excellent for retaining information
  • 👍 Valuable for medical students

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Videos stop in landscape orientation
  • 🐛 Can't give feedback on mobile app
  • 🐛 Closed captioning settings don't save
  • 🐛 Zoom/pan not available in landscape mode
  • 🐛 App crashes frequently

Bugs and requests

Picmonic Medical School Study

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription renewal issues
  • Inability to access content consistently
  • Progress not updating properly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Revive free picmonic per day option
  • Add nurse practitioner category
  • Improve compatibility with other study tools

Sketchy Learning

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Video stops playing and closes in landscape orientation
  • Keyboard covers submit button when giving feedback on mobile app
  • Closed captioning settings do not save
  • App crashes when videos are full-screened and phone is turned sideways
  • App crashes frequently
Show 9 more
  • App becomes laggy and unusable after an update
  • Video controls (pause, rewind) do not work after update
  • Videos randomly stop playing without explanation
  • Videos always crash on iPhone X
  • Videos close by themselves on iOS
  • Can't watch videos horizontally
  • New layout makes symbols tiny and difficult to view
  • Can't scroll on the side panel to see other videos in a course subsection
  • Full screen symbol mode forces device orientation switch

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to create customized tests in the app
  • Save closed captioning settings
  • Improve zoom and pan functionality in landscape mode
  • Bring back bookmarking feature
  • Allow scrolling on the side panel within video courses
Show 1 more
  • Make video speed and caption settings persistent across videos

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Picmonic Medical School Study

Subscriptions6
  • Premium7 Days trial2 variants$11.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$15.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Premium7 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$28.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial4 variants$29.991 Month
4 purchases

Sketchy Learning

Subscriptions4
  • Sketchy NP 12 month7 Days trial$289.991 Year
  • MCAT Science Review 12 month7 Days trial$399.991 Year
  • Sketchy PA 12 month7 Days trial$399.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Medical 12 month7 Days trial$459.991 Year

Questions

Is Picmonic Medical School Study free?
Picmonic Medical School Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sketchy Learning free?
Sketchy Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Picmonic Medical School Study or Sketchy Learning?
Sketchy Learning is rated higher. Picmonic Medical School Study averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Sketchy Learning averages 4.9 from 874 ratings.
Do Picmonic Medical School Study or Sketchy Learning have ads?
Sketchy Learning shows ads; Picmonic Medical School Study does not.
Which is updated more often, Picmonic Medical School Study or Sketchy Learning?
Picmonic Medical School Study ships an update monthly, and Sketchy Learning every 3 weeks. Most recently, Picmonic Medical School Study was updated on November 11, 2026 and Sketchy Learning on November 8, 2026.

Other comparisons