Comparison

NephRef vs PROTECT

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

Head to head
About

NephRef

This medical reference tool aids physicians and advanced practitioners in managing patients with kidney disease. It provides quick access to educational resources and guidance on patient referral, urgency, and interval management.

Highlights
  • Kidney disease patient care guidance
  • Referral management
  • Urgency assessment
  • Interval management
  • Educational resources access
Features
Read full description

NephRef is both a reference and referral tool designed to educate and empower physicians and advanced practitioners in their care and referral of patients with kidney disease. Conceived and developed by the Section of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine, NephRef offers a quick and easy link to educational resources and provides information about urgency and interval management of patients referred for specialty consultation. NephRef is an educational tool only. Not for individual patient diagnosis or treatment.

About

PROTECT

Features
Read full description

Data collection app for PROTECT-ICU platform

Screenshots

NephRef4 screens
PROTECT4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: NephRef at every 10 days against PROTECT's every 6 months. NephRef also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NephRef ships an update every 10 days, PROTECT every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
NephRef versus PROTECT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNephRefPROTECT
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB39 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMedia Foundations LLCNICST

In-app purchases

None

NephRef

No in-app purchases

None

PROTECT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NephRef free?
NephRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PROTECT free?
PROTECT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NephRef or PROTECT have ads?
Neither NephRef nor PROTECT shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NephRef or PROTECT?
NephRef ships an update every 10 days, and PROTECT every 6 months. Most recently, NephRef was updated on September 18, 2026 and PROTECT on September 19, 2026.

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