# IQ SmartApp Medical vs Alpha Shell

The clearest difference is update cadence: Alpha Shell at every 6 weeks against IQ SmartApp Medical's every 3 months. Alpha Shell also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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.

IQ SmartApp Medical ships an update every 3 months, Alpha Shell every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IQ SmartApp Medical | Alpha Shell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Size | 121 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [IQ Messenger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1057975387) | [Alpha Software, Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/874677887) |

## What reviewers say

### IQ SmartApp Medical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iq-smartapp-medical/id1503475553)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Alpha Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alpha-shell/id1561405811)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IQ SmartApp Medical free?

IQ SmartApp Medical is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alpha Shell free?

Alpha Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do IQ SmartApp Medical or Alpha Shell have ads?

Neither IQ SmartApp Medical nor Alpha Shell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IQ SmartApp Medical or Alpha Shell?

IQ SmartApp Medical ships an update every 3 months, and Alpha Shell every 6 weeks. Most recently, IQ SmartApp Medical was updated on October 29, 2026 and Alpha Shell on November 7, 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.*