# Nursing Central vs Medtimer

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nursing Central | Medtimer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nursing-central/id300420397/reviews)** | [4.5 (582 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medtimer-heart-plus-respiratory/id1012031242/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 582 |
| Positive reviews | **74.4% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#52** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [Tigerpixel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012031241) |

## What reviewers say

### Nursing Central

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nursing-central/id300420397)

**Currently charting:** #52 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Intravenous Medications | $49.99 | per year |
| Drugs and Tools Renewal | $49.99 | per year |
| Nursing Central | $99.99 | per year |
| NCLEX-RN Quest | $19.99 | one-time |
| RNotes 5th Edition | $29.99 | one-time |
| RNotes | $29.99 | one-time |
| Disaster Nursing | $39.99 | one-time |
| Taylor's Clinical | $42.99 | one-time |
| Nurse's Pocket Guide | $49.99 | one-time |
| Nurse's Pocket Guide 16e | $49.99 | one-time |
| Nurses' Health Assessment | $59.99 | one-time |
| Nursing Central | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive reference
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Quick access to information
- 👍 Helpful for nursing students and professionals
- 🚀 Centralized medical resources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with new devices
- 🐛 Outdated content after subscription expires
- 🐛 Syncing and login problems
- 🐛 Slow performance and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Login and account issues
- Syncing problems across devices
- Outdated content and lack of updates
- Compatibility problems with newer devices

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medtimer-heart-plus-respiratory/id1012031242)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Medtimer Pro | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Exemplary
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful for counting respirations and pulse
- 👍 Simple and effective

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not working on new Apple Watch models
- 🐛 Crashes or doesn't open on Apple Watch
- 🐛 Inaccurate pulse readings
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔊 Loud countdown sounds

**Reported bugs**

- Not downloading on Apple Watch
- Crashes on Apple Watch
- Stops working after OS updates

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nursing Central free?

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

### Is Medtimer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nursing Central or Medtimer?

Nursing Central is rated higher. Nursing Central averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Medtimer averages 4.5 from 582 ratings.

### Do Nursing Central or Medtimer have ads?

Neither Nursing Central nor Medtimer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nursing Central or Medtimer?

Nursing Central ships an update every 6 weeks, and Medtimer every 3 months. Most recently, Nursing Central was updated on October 23, 2026 and Medtimer on October 24, 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.*