Comparison

Eyedea Refractive vs polaHelp

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

Head to head
About

Eyedea Refractive

This medical app assists ophthalmologists in pre-operative evaluations for refractive surgeries like Lasik and PRK. It calculates various metrics after applying nomograms, aiding in surgical indication judgments alongside clinical evaluation.

Highlights
  • Refractive surgery calculator
  • Pre-operative evaluation tool
  • LASIK, Lenticular Extraction, PRK support
  • Nomogram application
  • Post-surgery refraction calculation
  • Residual stromal bed estimation
Features
Read full description

Clinical calculator for Refractive Surgery, designed to support pre- and post-operative evaluation of LASIK, Lenticular Extraction (SMILE), and PRK, based on current medical literature. From the patient's pre-operative data, it calculates post-nomogram refraction, central and maximum ablation, residual stromal bed, PTA/PSTA, LASIK Ectasia Risk Score, predicted final keratometry, mitomycin time, and more. In postoperative evaluation, it analyzes spherical refractive outcome along with PTA and keratometry variation, classifying results into objective clinical categories. Results are intended as clinical decision support and should always be correlated with the patient's in-person evaluation.

About

polaHelp

Features
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**1.** As an optometrist or ophthalmologist, you often encounter situations where the patient cannot clearly express how they perceive the Polatest images. This application makes the examination easier: the patient can adjust on the screen what they see during the Polatest, while the app helps you calculate how many prism diopters may be required. **Polatest images:** * Cross * Cross with fusion stimulus * Horizontal/vertical clip * Horizontal/vertical clock * Double clock --- **2.** The near Maddox-cross feature presents the well-known examination in a modernized form. Place a Maddox lens in front of one of the patient’s eyes, and the central dot will turn into a line, allowing you to detect deviations at reading distance. --- **3.** When examining children, it can sometimes be difficult to keep their attention during the procedure. The app helps maintain their focus by showing random figures designed for children. --- **4.** For patients suffering from central visual field loss (e.g., AMD), you can teach them to use the extrafoveal areas of the retina for reading. Using the red circle, you can guide their fixation while they attempt to read the text. You may support this with yoked prisms, and you can adjust the size and position of both the circle and the text to help them find the most effective gaze positions. --- **5.** Once you have determined the necessary prism values, the built-in calculator helps you work out how to prescribe or order the glasses. You can use the commonly applied horizontal and vertical axes, but in special situations, you can also calculate with oblique prisms. --- **Note:** Under **Settings → Apps → polaHelp**, set the distance between the patient and the Polatest screen! Since any application may contain errors, always double-check the prism diopter values. I cannot take responsibility for incorrectly manufactured glasses based on the app’s results. The application is primarily designed for iPad.

Screenshots

Eyedea Refractive4 screens
polaHelp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Eyedea Refractive at Free against polaHelp's $9.99. Eyedea Refractive also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On ads 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

Eyedea Refractive is free to download; polaHelp costs $9.99 up front. polaHelp sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Eyedea Refractive asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Eyedea Refractive ships an update fortnightly, polaHelp every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Eyedea Refractive versus polaHelp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEyedea RefractivepolaHelp
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB4 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperEyedea Educacao e Desenvolvimento em Oftalmologia LTDAAndras Balint

In-app purchases

None

Eyedea Refractive

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

polaHelp

One-time1
  • polaHelpPro$9.99

Questions

Is Eyedea Refractive free?
Eyedea Refractive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is polaHelp free?
polaHelp costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do Eyedea Refractive or polaHelp have ads?
Neither Eyedea Refractive nor polaHelp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Eyedea Refractive or polaHelp?
Eyedea Refractive ships an update fortnightly, and polaHelp every 6 weeks. Most recently, Eyedea Refractive was updated on October 16, 2026 and polaHelp on October 28, 2026.

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