# Medical Lab Tests vs Bates' Pocket Guide

Medical Lab Tests and Bates' Pocket Guide both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 61% of Medical Lab Tests's written reviews are positive against 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's. Medical Lab Tests also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 304). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Medical Lab Tests sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Medical Lab Tests against 4.8 for Bates' Pocket Guide. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 304 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Medical Lab Tests's written reviews are positive against 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's.

Medical Lab Tests ships an update every 3 months, Bates' Pocket Guide every 11 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Medical Lab Tests | Bates' Pocket Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medical-lab-tests/id307829594/reviews) | **[4.8 (304 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 304 |
| Positive reviews | **61.5% of reviews** | 40.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Medicon Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/307829597) | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) |

## What reviewers say

### Medical Lab Tests

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/medical-lab-tests/id307829594)

This app provides instant access to reference ranges, clinical significance, and interpretations for a wide array of laboratory tests. Designed for healthcare professionals and students, it offers detailed information on over 17 categories of lab tests, working offline for convenient use in clinical settings.

**Highlights:** Instant lab test lookup, 17+ lab test categories, Reference ranges (SI & US units), Interpretation of abnormal values, Offline functionality, Powerful search, Favorites list

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Half-yearly | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| One Month subscription | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3 Months subscription | $1.99 | one-time |
| 6 Months subscription | $2.99 | one-time |
| One year subscription | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best diagnostic labs app
- 👍 Wonderful application
- 👍 Very helpful and convenient
- 👍 Wonderful and useful application
- 👍 Excellent app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires paid subscription
- 🐛 Crashes frequently, cannot see information
- 💰 Paid app now requires additional in-app purchases
- 🌍 Not suitable for users outside the US
- 🌍 Not suitable for Canadian users

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect tube color information
- Not compatible with iPhone 5
- Spelling errors in the app

**Requested features**

- Add ceruloplasmin test
- Include vitamin and mineral panels
- Add D-dimer test
- Add venous and capillary blood gas tests
- Include more coagulation and virology tests


### Bates' Pocket Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652)

This app provides essential information for obtaining health histories and conducting physical exams. It features step-by-step techniques, updated images, and differential diagnoses for quick and accurate interpretation of findings. Ideal for students and professionals needing a fast reference.

**Highlights:** Over 130 detailed topics, Step-by-step instructions, Updated photographs and illustrations, Two-column layout, New Algorithms for symptom approaches, Differential diagnoses, Highlighting and note-taking, Advanced search

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed. | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Reliable reference
- 🖼️ Helpful pictures for diagnosis
- 📚 Good for quick reference
- 💡 Easy to understand and logical format
- 🎯 Useful for clinicals and easy to maneuver

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced app
- 🔄 Outdated software
- 🖱️ Not user-friendly navigation
- 💸 Repeated payments required
- ❌ Incorrect information/algorithms

**Reported bugs**

- Sectional information is wrong
- Topics do not correlate to information
- Asterisk information is incorrect
- App information needs updating and reviewing
- Software is glitchy

**Requested features**

- Update and review app information for accuracy
- Improve content layout and navigation
- Offer better preview options before purchase
- Provide discounts for existing textbook/resource owners
- Clarify product offerings to avoid buyer confusion


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Medical Lab Tests free?

Medical Lab Tests is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?

Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Medical Lab Tests or Bates' Pocket Guide?

Bates' Pocket Guide is rated higher. Medical Lab Tests averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 from 304 ratings.

### Do Medical Lab Tests or Bates' Pocket Guide have ads?

Neither Medical Lab Tests nor Bates' Pocket Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Medical Lab Tests or Bates' Pocket Guide?

Medical Lab Tests ships an update every 3 months, and Bates' Pocket Guide every 11 months. Most recently, Medical Lab Tests was updated on October 29, 2026 and Bates' Pocket Guide on October 29, 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.*