DrugDoses vs BiliBuddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DrugDoses
This medical reference app provides precise medication dosages and essential patient care calculations for healthcare professionals. It includes over 2,150 drug entries, 150 lab values, a cardiology database, and pediatric scoring tools.
- 2,150+ drug entries
- 150+ lab values
- Cardiology database
- Pediatric scores and formulas
- Integrated PedCalc tool
- Up-to-date medication information
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Designed for pediatric intensivists, DrugDoses provides precise and up-to-date medication information to ensure the safety and recovery of your patients. With over 2,150 drug entries, it’s a comprehensive resource for commonly prescribed drugs for both adults and children. Frank Shann’s DrugDoses booklet has been a trusted tool for nearly 40 years. The iOS version keeps you at the forefront of therapeutic advancements, updating drug information faster than the paper version. Beyond drug listings, the app includes over 150 lab values and a complete cardiology database, making it a versatile resource for critical medical information. The integrated PedCalc tool offers essential pediatric scores and formulas, including: ASA score Alveolo-arterial gradient Anion gap Apgar score Blunt abdominal trauma score Body mass index Body surface area Corrected Ca Creatinine clearance (measured & estimated) Endotracheal tube sizes FeNa Glasgow Coma Score Glasgow Outcome Scale Ideal Body Weight Maintenance fluids Mallampati score NACA score Neonatal central lines Oxygen index PaO2/FiO2 ratio Parkland formula Pediatric trauma score Predicted height & spirometry values QTc interval Tubular phosphate reabsorption Vital Signs Follow us on Facebook (http://facebook.drugdoses.net) for updates and to share suggestions. Our Privacy Policy is available at www.drugdoses.net/privacy. DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this app is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. It is based on the reference: Drug Doses, by Frank Shann, 17th edition, Melbourne, Australia, 2017, Collective Pty, Limited, ISBN: 9780648005308. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content, the authors and developers cannot guarantee that it is free from errors or omissions. Users are responsible for making their own clinical decisions based on the information provided in this app. By using this app, you acknowledge that: - You are a healthcare professional. - You understand that the information provided is for educational purposes only. - You should consult relevant medical literature or colleagues when making clinical decisions, as this app is not a substitute for professional judgment. - You take full responsibility for the clinical decisions you make based on the information provided. - You understand that the authors and developers are not liable for any errors or omissions in the content or for any outcomes related to its use. This disclaimer must be agreed to upon first use of the app and will remain accessible in the settings for future reference. For questions, suggestions, or feedback, please email us at info@drugdoses.net.
BiliBuddy
This app helps healthcare professionals determine the need for phototherapy or exchange therapy in newborns based on their age, bilirubin levels, and risk factors. It utilizes the latest American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines and displays results on interactive nomograms. The app also tracks infant data and provides links to relevant research.
- Calculates phototherapy threshold
- Displays on nomograms
- Calculates infant age
- Views risk factors
- Supports US and SI units
- Tracks bilirubin measures
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BiliBuddy supports clinicians assessing neonatal jaundice in infants born at 35 weeks of gestation or later. Use Quick Check to compare a total serum bilirubin reading with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2022 phototherapy, escalation-of-care, and exchange-transfusion thresholds. Enter age in hours, gestation, and additional neurotoxicity risk factors. View the result and threshold charts in mg/dL or µmol/L. Track infants locally to review reading history, plot trends, and calculate the rate of rise. A date-and-time calculator helps determine age at measurement. Share a text result summary using the device's share sheet. The 2022 guideline is selected by default. An optional legacy AAP 2004 pathway is available in Settings, with its supported chart range clearly identified. Reference material and links to source guidelines are included. Clinical entries are stored on the device. Usage analytics is optional and off by default. Advertising and crash diagnostics use third-party services described in the in-app Privacy Notice. An in-app purchase removes ads, and Restore Purchases restores an eligible prior purchase. For clinician use. BiliBuddy does not replace clinical judgment, clinical assessment, or consultation of the source guideline. It is not an electronic health record. Do not use outside the supported age and gestation ranges.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BiliBuddy at Free against DrugDoses's $14.99. BiliBuddy also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (85% vs 64%). DrugDoses's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On 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
BiliBuddy is free to download; DrugDoses costs $14.99 up front. BiliBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DrugDoses asks for nothing beyond the download.
BiliBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BiliBuddy has 258 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of DrugDoses's written reviews are positive against 85% of BiliBuddy's.
DrugDoses ships an update every 9 months, BiliBuddy every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DrugDoses | BiliBuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (37 ratings) | 4.9 (258 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 37 | 258 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Oliver Karam | Covenant Data Systems, LLC |
Customer experience
DrugDoses
BiliBuddy
User reviews
DrugDoses
From 37 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent resource for drug doses
- 👍 Practical and handy app
- 👍 Standard reference in practice
- 👍 Replaces physical book well
- 👍 Superb for bush hospitals
Room to improve
- 🐛 Format is terrible
- 🐛 Unformatted text blocks
- 🐛 No spacing in doses
- 🐛 Difficult to read
- 🐛 Terrible interface
BiliBuddy
From 258 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Useful and easy to use
- 📈 Graphs and trends Bili levels
- ⏱️ Figures out baby's age in hours
- ✅ Spot on accuracy
- 📰 Updates Bili guidelines
Room to improve
- intrusive video/audio ads
- ❌ No display of risk zones
- 💥 App keeps crashing
- 🖱️ UI not the best
- 🔗 Link to further information doesn't work
Bugs and requests
DrugDoses
Reported bugs
29 issues- Code blue not working
- Cannot enter decimal in drug dosage
- Purchase not restorable
- License expiring unexpectedly
- Payment issues (not allowed to make payment)
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- App not compatible with iOS 8
- Unable to open and use all functions on new iPhone
- App won't work due to expired license
- Paediatric dosage calculator disabled
- Code Blue, PedCalc, PICU guidelines not working
- App crashes or freezes
- Cannot select lowest few drugs in search list
- Features removed in updates
- No calculator implementation
- Information is scanty
- UI and text formatting need improvement
- Terrible typesetting reproduced
- Cannot put decimal points in weight for calculations
- Calculator not integrated with drug list
- Palm PDA version was better
- Missing normal vital signs by age
- Missing estimated weight for age
- Missing ET tube sizes by age
- Missing intranasal fentanyl doses
- Missing infusions compatibility table
- Missing values for ETT sizes
- Missing DC shock energy
- Missing useful notes pages
- Calculator not at bottom of screen
Requested features
38 requests- Add side effects and pharmacodynamics information
- Improve text formatting and spacing
- Support modern screen sizes
- Add regular updates
- Implement a restore purchase feature
Show 33 moreShow fewer
- Fix license expiration issues
- Add dark mode
- Improve UI and text formatting
- Add decimal points for weight calculations
- Integrate calculator on each drug screen
- Improve resuscitation calculator
- Add infusions compatibility table
- Include values for ETT sizes
- Include DC shock energy
- Include useful notes pages
- Combine with PICU Guidelines app
- Incorporate calculator with drug list for instant dose display
- Add weight-based dose calculation
- Add intranasal fentanyl doses
- Add normal vital signs by age
- Add estimated weight for age
- Add ET tube sizes by age
- Add calculator at bottom of screen
- Update to iOS 8 compatibility
- Fix bugs for iOS 8
- Fix iPhone 6 plus compatibility
- Fix babies between neonatal and 1yo weights for calculator
- Keep Australian spelling
- Acknowledge Frank Shann on load screen
- Improve navigation within favourites list
- Change first page back to book cover
- Add weight input for drug dose display
- Add roast potato recipe (joking)
- Update to latest edition of Frank's book
- Make app free or more affordable
- Add more drug information
- Improve calculator functionality
- Add more features to resuscitation calculator
BiliBuddy
Reported bugs
4 issues- Video/audio ads won't shut off
- App crashes
- Text boxes sometimes don't respond
- Link to further information doesn't work
Requested features
3 requests- Add or manage hours of phototherapy treatment
- Make scrolling between risk levels more obvious (e.g., more dots)
- Display low, intermediate, and high intermediate risk zones
In-app purchases
DrugDoses
No in-app purchases
BiliBuddy
- Remove Ads$6.99
Questions
Is DrugDoses free?
Is BiliBuddy free?
Which has better reviews, DrugDoses or BiliBuddy?
Do DrugDoses or BiliBuddy have ads?
Which is updated more often, DrugDoses or BiliBuddy?
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