Nursing Central vs Medtimer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nursing Central
This comprehensive nursing app integrates multiple best-selling resources to provide quick access to vital clinical information. It offers detailed data on diseases, drugs, tests, and procedures, along with a medical dictionary and access to the PubMed database. Features include study tools, custom notes, and multimedia content to enhance learning and efficiency for healthcare professionals and students.
- Drug information with updates
- Medical dictionary with 75,000+ entries
- Laboratory and diagnostic test details
- Disease and disorder information
- PubMed database access
- Exclusive study system (Grasp™)
- Custom notes and highlights
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Five best-selling nursing apps combine to form the premier, integrated clinical nursing solution. Use valuable tools to find and apply the information you need. Purchase includes iOS app, macOS app, and web access. PLEASE NOTE: Current customers and institutional subscribers can use this app to download content to their iOS devices. ABOUT NURSING CENTRAL Nursing Central helps nurses and students be more efficient by providing detailed information on diseases, tests, drugs, and procedures where and when it is needed. The moment a question arises you can consult the updating database of 5,000 drugs, find a definition in the dictionary with 75,000+ entries, interpret hundreds of laboratory and diagnostic tests, and consult the latest disease information. You can also search the entire PubMed database or study unfamiliar topics using the exclusive study system - Grasp™, all from your mobile device Five best-selling nursing applications combine to form Nursing Central. DAVIS’S DRUG GUIDE FOR NURSES Refer to regularly updated information on dosing, contraindications, drug interactions, and patient education for more than 5,000 medications. TABER’S MEDICAL DICTIONARY Define over 75,000 medical terms and enhance learning with images, videos, and audio pronunciations. DAVIS’S LABORATORY AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS Access rationale and results for tests as well as pretest requirements, intratest procedures, and post-test patient care. DISEASES AND DISORDERS Review complete coverage of more than 250 medical conditions. Prime PubMed Connect to the full PubMed journal citations and abstracts database on your mobile device. Stay up to date with your favorite nursing and medical journals with Prime Journals, perform powerful searches, receive suggestions on relevant articles with Prime ForYou, link directly to the publisher’s full text, and share articles via email or social media. Visually explore the literature using Grapherence®, a unique way to find related and relevant articles. FEATURES • Receive 1-year of drug updates • Create custom notes and highlights within entries • Consult trusted disease and test information • Jump quickly between resources using Cross Links • View thousands of colorful images, figures, and videos • Learn on the go with our exclusive study system - Grasp™ • Access the full PubMed database • Use the Full Text Search to help find topics across all resources • Bookmark important entries with “Favorites” • Get access to Nursing Central website for one year • Personalize your app by re-ordering resources to match your unique needs and preferences. DRUG AND CONTENT UPDATE RENEWAL • After initial Nursing Central purchase you will receive updates for one year • After one year, you can purchase updates for an additional year, at the discounted rate of $99.99. If you do not choose to purchase, you can continue to use the product but will not receive updates. • If you purchase updates, they will automatically renew annually at the renewal rate ($99.99) and charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase, unless auto-renew is turned off 24 hours prior to the conclusion of the one-year subscription period. • Account will be charged ($99.99) for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the yearly subscription term. • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement
Medtimer
This app provides a fast and accurate way for medical professionals to measure heart and respiratory rates. It features a simple tap interface, instant calculations, and reference charts for all age groups. Designed for efficiency in clinical settings, it keeps users focused on their patients.
- Tap-anywhere interface for recording
- Intuitive HR and RR recording
- Instant automatic rate calculations
- Flexible measurement periods
- Reference charts for all ages
- iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch support
- Lock screen widgets
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The essential heart and respiratory rate tool for clinicians. Medtimer is built for health professionals who need fast vital sign counts. Extremely simple to use, it frees you from watching the clock or performing mental calculations. Count heart rates (HR) and respiratory rates (RR) with a few simple taps, and instantly see reference range charts for adults and children of all ages. IDEAL FOR: * Nurses & Respiratory Therapists * Doctors, EMTs & Paramedics * Medical Assistants & CNAs * Caregivers & Home Health Aides * First Aid Providers * Athletic Trainers & Sports Scientists * Veterinarians & Pet Owners Developed in collaboration with physicians, Medtimer is designed for efficiency and simplicity in even the busiest clinical environments. Tap to record — everything else is done for you. Our app is trusted by medical professionals worldwide. "Simple but brilliant! Very simple, clear and uncluttered app to help quickly assess HR and respiratory rate." — x2scoops "Best app ever! Every health care professional should have this! It's brilliant. It's on my Apple Watch. I use it with every patient. So simple but so effective." — AG03 OLD KEY FEATURES: * Simple tap-anywhere interface to record heartbeats and breaths * Intuitively record both heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) * Instant automatic rate calculations (BPM) * Flexible measurement periods from 6 to 60 seconds * Reference charts for all age ranges * Works across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch * Lock Screen widgets for iPhone and Apple Watch faces — start a timer instantly with a single tap * No accounts, no advertising, and no patient data stored Medtimer keeps you focused on your patient. Measurements are taken discreetly, with no need for anyone else to touch your device. There are no pop-ups or distractions — just the information you need, when you need it. You can also contact us directly via the app with any feedback. All of this is available for free. Medtimer Pro adds history, custom charts, and a CPR metronome. Medtimer is a counting timer and reference tool for trained users. It does not diagnose, monitor, or treat any condition. Download now and experience the simplest way to count heart and respiratory rates.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nursing Central at 74% against Medtimer's 40%. Nursing Central also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (11K vs 582). Medtimer's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Nursing Central sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year and Medtimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Nursing Central holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nursing Central has 11K ratings behind it against 582, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Nursing Central's written reviews are positive against 40% of Medtimer's.
Nursing Central ships an update every 6 weeks, Medtimer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Nursing Central | Medtimer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (11K ratings) — better | 4.5 (582 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 74.4% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | 582 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #52 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Unbound Medicine, Inc. | Tigerpixel |
Customer experience
Nursing Central
Medtimer
User reviews
Nursing Central
From 11K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Comprehensive reference
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Quick access to information
- 👍 Helpful for nursing students and professionals
- 🚀 Centralized medical resources
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with new devices
- 🐛 Outdated content after subscription expires
- 🐛 Syncing and login problems
- 🐛 Slow performance and crashes
Medtimer
From 582 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Exemplary
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful for counting respirations and pulse
- 👍 Simple and effective
Room to improve
- 🐛 Not working on new Apple Watch models
- 🐛 Crashes or doesn't open on Apple Watch
- 🐛 Inaccurate pulse readings
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔊 Loud countdown sounds
Bugs and requests
Nursing Central
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login and account issues
- Syncing problems across devices
- Outdated content and lack of updates
- Compatibility problems with newer devices
Requested features
5 requests- Offline access to content
- More detailed disease and medication information
- Integration with electronic medical records
- Video tutorials and demonstrations
- Improved search and filtering capabilities
Medtimer
Reported bugs
3 issues- Not downloading on Apple Watch
- Crashes on Apple Watch
- Stops working after OS updates
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for new Apple Watch models
- Integrate with Apple Health app
- Add option to manually enter counts
- Add complication for Apple Watch
- Add option to disable sounds
In-app purchases
Nursing Central
- Intravenous Medications$49.991 Year
- Drugs and Tools Renewal$49.991 Year
- Nursing Central$99.991 Year
- NCLEX-RN Quest$19.99
- RNotes 5th Edition$29.99
- RNotes$29.99
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- Disaster Nursing$39.99
- Taylor's Clinical$42.99
- Nurse's Pocket Guide$49.99
- Nurse's Pocket Guide 16e$49.99
- Nurses' Health Assessment2 variants$59.99
- Nursing Central$199.99
Medtimer
- Medtimer Pro$3.99
Questions
Is Nursing Central free?
Is Medtimer free?
Which has better reviews, Nursing Central or Medtimer?
Do Nursing Central or Medtimer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Nursing Central or Medtimer?
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