# COE Prep vs IOL Reference

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | COE Prep | IOL Reference |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coe-prep/id315534299/reviews)** | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iol-reference/id1626671895/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **78** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 121 MB | 823 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Higher Learning Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/571804544) | [Gurpal Virdi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626671897) |

## What reviewers say

### COE Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coe-prep/id315534299)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| COE Exam Prep | $99.99 | one-time |


### IOL Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iol-reference/id1626671895)

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.

**Highlights:** Searchable IOL database, FDA-approved lens catalog, Database updates, Ophthalmology networking, Eye care tools

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is COE Prep free?

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

### Is IOL Reference free?

IOL Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, COE Prep or IOL Reference?

COE Prep is rated higher. COE Prep averages 4.8 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while IOL Reference averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.

### Do COE Prep or IOL Reference have ads?

Neither COE Prep nor IOL Reference shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, COE Prep or IOL Reference?

COE Prep ships an update every 3 weeks, and IOL Reference weekly. Most recently, COE Prep was updated on September 19, 2026 and IOL Reference on July 5, 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.*