COE Prep vs IOL Reference
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
COE Prep
Prepare for your Certified Ophthalmic Executive exam with official flashcards. This app offers over 300 practice questions covering key areas of ophthalmic administration, with detailed explanations and progress tracking. Study efficiently anytime, anywhere.
- 300+ exam-like practice questions
- Detailed explanations for answers
- Covers 6 key exam categories
- Tag questions for quick review
- Immediate progress feedback
- Study anytime, anywhere
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Created in partnership with the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA), the COE Exam Prep app is a vital resource on your path to pass your Certified Ophthalmic Executive exam. ASOA's official COE Exam Prep app features over 300 exam-like questions in the areas of General Ophthalmic Knowledge, Financial Management, Operations, Information Technology Management, Human Resources, and Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance. Install the free version today and jump-start your studying! We have provided a limited free version of the app that you can try before deciding to upgrade. This version includes a limited amount of practice questions and basic progress metrics. Get your best value by upgrading to the Premium version with a one-time in-app purchase that includes lifetime access to: • 300+ exam-like practice questions with detailed explanations • Created in partnership with ASOA • Tag questions within categories for quick review • Immediate feedback to track your overall progress • Covers all 6 categories on the COE exam, including: • General Ophthalmic Knowledge • Financial Management • Operations • Information Technology Management • Human Resources • Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance Created by Certified Ophthalmic Executives, COE Exam Prep by ASOA allows you to study efficiently—anytime anywhere. Questions? Feedback? Email us at professional@hltcorp.com Questions were reviewed, researched, and sourced by a peer group of Certified Ophthalmic Executives. The resources used to create these questions come directly from the COE Suggested Study Resources List. Every effort has been made to ensure questions and answers are relevant and correct. Any suspected errors should be brought to the attention of ASOA by emailing us at professional@hltcorp.com.
IOL Reference
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.
- Searchable IOL database
- FDA-approved lens catalog
- Database updates
- Ophthalmology networking
- Eye care tools
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IOL Reference is a cross-platform ophthalmology utility, social media, and networking service that provides users with a wide array of eye care tools to optimize their outcomes. This unique app allows surgeons to quickly search for an FDA-approved, currently marketed intraocular lens (IOLs) that meets their needs and specifications. The database contains almost 10,000 individually cataloged lenses and will be updated to include newly FDA-approved IOLs, changes to current lenses, and corrections. This app was created by Gurpal Virdi, MD and Matt Hirabayashi, MD
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IOL Reference at none against COE Prep's 1. IOL Reference also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (89% vs 76%). COE Prep's advantage is ratings volume (78 vs 15) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.5). On price, rating, ads 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. COE Prep sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. IOL Reference asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for COE Prep against 4.7 for IOL Reference. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: COE Prep has 78 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of COE Prep's written reviews are positive against 89% of IOL Reference's.
COE Prep ships an update every 3 weeks, IOL Reference weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | COE Prep | IOL Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (78 ratings) — better | 4.7 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 78 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 121 MB | 823 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Higher Learning Technologies | Gurpal Virdi |
Customer experience
COE Prep
IOL Reference
In-app purchases
COE Prep
- COE Exam Prep$99.99
IOL Reference
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is COE Prep free?
Is IOL Reference free?
Which has better reviews, COE Prep or IOL Reference?
Do COE Prep or IOL Reference have ads?
Which is updated more often, COE Prep or IOL Reference?
Other comparisons
