ECHO On vs EBMRef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ECHO On
This medical education app helps users learn Transesophageal Echocardiography with a question bank, cognitive aid, case log, and reference library. It provides guidance on performing and interpreting a standard 28-view exam, including anatomy, function, and Doppler interrogations.
- Transesophageal Echocardiography education
- Enlarging question bank
- Rescue TEE cognitive aid
- Case Log system
- Perioperative Quick Reference library
- Offline echo loops
- Pathology, technique, and normal loop examples
Read full descriptionHide full description
ECHO On is a free medical education resource for learning Transesophageal Echocardiography including a free, enlarging question bank, a Rescue TEE cognitive aid, a Case Log system for submission to the NBE, and a growing perioperative Quick Reference library with offline echo loops that work even in the OR without internet access, and includes pathology examples, techniques, and normal loops of the heart. ECHO On will walk you through an entire standard 28 view exam teaching you the anatomy, function and Doppler interrogations you should perform at each view, and how to interpret them. ECHO On is and will remain free, and the best way you can contribute is to submit boards-style questions or echo stills and echo loops to help grow the QBank, Quick Reference and Pathology libraries. Disclaimer: This app was written to provide an accessible perioperative tool for residents and fellows learning TEE in the cardiac OR and ICU, and for generalist anesthesiologists looking to refresh their knowledge of TEE. It is not meant for patients to self-diagnose. It is not meant to be a definitive reference. Despite my best efforts, there may be errors or inaccuracies in this app, so please do not use it for medical decision making, as doing so may lead you misdiagnose or seriously harm your patient. If you are not a qualified medical doctor, please see a qualified medical doctor before making any medical decisions, including those based on echocardiograms.
EBMRef
Access summaries of landmark medical research across specialties. Quickly find key trial details like interventions, outcomes, and clinical relevance for bedside reference. Intended for educational use, it's a supplement to, not a replacement for, professional medical advice.
- Landmark research summaries
- Organized by medical specialty
- Key trial details (name, year, interventions, outcomes)
- Clinical relevance distilled
- Quick bedside access
- Educational and informational
Read full descriptionHide full description
EBMRef provides summaries of landmark research across various medical specialties. Built for quick access at the bedside, it organizes pivotal trials by specialty and distills key details, including trial name, year, interventions, outcomes, and clinical relevance. As with all scientific literature, users should review the complete study to appreciate its methodology, potential biases, and limitations. This app is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, and never disregard or delay seeking professional advice because of information provided by this app. About Rishi Kumar, MD, FACC ("RK.MD") I'm an adult cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and cardiovascular ICU intensivist practicing in academic medicine. I'm passionate about teaching with free, open-access medical education. Learn more on my site: https://rk.md
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ECHO On at weekly against EBMRef's every 3 weeks. ECHO On also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ECHO On against 5.0 for EBMRef. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 21 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
ECHO On ships an update weekly, EBMRef every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ECHO On | EBMRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (14 ratings) | 5.0 (21 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 | 21 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 414 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Robert Arrigo | Rishi Kumar |
Customer experience
ECHO On
EBMRef
In-app purchases
ECHO On
No in-app purchases
EBMRef
No in-app purchases









