# Elsevier eBooks+ vs OphthoCards

The clearest difference is review sentiment: OphthoCards at 100% against Elsevier eBooks+'s 43%. OphthoCards also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). Elsevier eBooks+'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 14). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. OphthoCards sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Elsevier eBooks+ asks for nothing beyond the download.

OphthoCards holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elsevier eBooks+ has 1.9K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Elsevier eBooks+'s written reviews are positive against 100% of OphthoCards's.

Elsevier eBooks+ ships an update every 2 months, OphthoCards every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elsevier eBooks+ | OphthoCards |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elsevier-ebooks-plus/id1643980050/reviews) | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ophthocards/id6743734600/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 183 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Elsevier Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/367031326) | [OphthoGenie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804255376) |

## What reviewers say

### Elsevier eBooks+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elsevier-ebooks-plus/id1643980050)

Access your medical textbooks offline and enhance your learning with tools for note-taking, highlighting, and flashcard creation. Sync your progress and annotations across devices for a seamless study experience.

**Highlights:** Offline book access, Note-taking and highlighting, Flashcard creation, Cross-device syncing, In-book search, Figure viewing and zooming

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Student / Study friendly
- 🚀 Enhances content
- 👍 Ebooks from Elsevier
- 👍 Great app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unable to view images/tables
- 🐛 Useless for medical textbooks
- 🐛 Positioning issues
- 🐛 Scrolling and zooming problems
- 🐛 Slow loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Figures placed at the end of chapters
- Search function only works for single words
- Inability to clear search history
- Freezing and crashing issues
- Incompatibility with older devices

**Requested features**

- More highlighting and note-taking options
- Ability to write, draw, or paste images on pages
- Separate flashcard option integration with Anki/Quizlet
- More font size options
- Streamlined text selection for voiceover


### OphthoCards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ophthocards/id6743734600)

This app provides ophthalmology flashcards and study guides designed for exam preparation. It features progress tracking and offline access to help users learn efficiently.

**Highlights:** Exam-focused flashcards, Step-wise study guides, Progress tracking with streaks, Offline access, Covers multiple ophthalmology subspecialties

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great tool to learn on the go
- 👍 Handy and very practical information
- 👍 Slick and fast app
- 👍 Easy to use and helps retain information
- 👍 Perfect for studying on the go


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elsevier eBooks+ free?

Elsevier eBooks+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is OphthoCards free?

OphthoCards is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Elsevier eBooks+ or OphthoCards?

OphthoCards is rated higher. Elsevier eBooks+ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while OphthoCards averages 5.0 from 14 ratings.

### Do Elsevier eBooks+ or OphthoCards have ads?

Neither Elsevier eBooks+ nor OphthoCards shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elsevier eBooks+ or OphthoCards?

Elsevier eBooks+ ships an update every 2 months, and OphthoCards every 5 months. Most recently, Elsevier eBooks+ was updated on October 14, 2026 and OphthoCards on October 3, 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.*