# IOL Reference vs Retina Rocks

The clearest difference is update cadence: IOL Reference at weekly against Retina Rocks's every 2 months. Retina Rocks's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). On price, ratings volume, 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.

Retina Rocks holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of IOL Reference's written reviews are positive against 100% of Retina Rocks's.

IOL Reference ships an update weekly, Retina Rocks every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IOL Reference | Retina Rocks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iol-reference/id1626671895/reviews) | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retina-rocks/id6755603966/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 823 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Gurpal Virdi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626671897) | [Retina World Congress](https://appshunter.io/developer/1696124167) |

## What reviewers say

### IOL Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iol-reference/id1626671895)

This ophthalmology utility helps surgeons find FDA-approved intraocular lenses. It features a searchable database of nearly 10,000 lenses, updated with new approvals and changes. The app also serves as a social media and networking platform for eye care professionals.

**Highlights:** Searchable IOL database, FDA-approved lens catalog, Database updates, Ophthalmology networking, Eye care tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Retina Rocks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retina-rocks/id6755603966)

Access a free, open-source online image library for eye care professionals. Quickly find daily cases and infographics on retinal disorders for educational purposes and board review.

**Highlights:** Daily Case of the Day, Retinal disorder infographics, Posterior segment topic overview, Board review resource, Open-source image library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IOL Reference free?

IOL Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Retina Rocks free?

Retina Rocks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, IOL Reference or Retina Rocks?

Retina Rocks is rated higher. IOL Reference averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Retina Rocks averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do IOL Reference or Retina Rocks have ads?

Neither IOL Reference nor Retina Rocks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IOL Reference or Retina Rocks?

IOL Reference ships an update weekly, and Retina Rocks every 2 months. Most recently, IOL Reference was updated on October 14, 2026 and Retina Rocks on October 2, 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.*