Comparison

CORE vs FP Notebook

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CORE

This app serves as a portable, expert reference for diagnosing musculoskeletal and orthopedic disorders. It provides a comprehensive database of clinical tests with detailed instructions, video demonstrations, diagnostic properties, and links to medical references for evidence-based diagnosis.

Highlights
  • Database of over 400 clinical tests
  • Step-by-step text instructions
  • Video demonstrations
  • Diagnostic properties (sensitivity, specificity)
  • Links to supporting medical references
  • Covers all extremities and spine
Features
Read full description

CORE is your portable, expert reference tool for diagnosing musculoskeletal and orthopedic disorders. The Clinical Orthopedic Exam offers you a robust database of over 400 clinical tests with descriptions on how to perform them, video demonstrations, diagnostic properties and links to supporting medical references. Click “…More” to learn why you should download this powerful resource App today! ****** “CORE has set the standard for a clinical exam app. The most striking feature of this app, in addition to the vast collection of tests and videos, is actually the “properties” tab. For every test, data is presented regarding the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, accuracy and other relevant statistical tests based on primary literature references. These lists are incredibly complete. This is a feature that I have not seen replicated by any other orthopaedic reference." - TopOrthoApps.com (Mobile App Reviews for Orthopaedic Surgeons - Featured by AAOS) ****** “CORE app for the iPhone is a wonderful reference for many clinicians, including, but not limited to, physical therapists, athletic trainers, orthopaedic surgeons, nurses, primary care physicians, and emergency room physicians. The app is user friendly and easy to navigate. The authors have undoubtedly put many hours of work into this application and it shows. I would recommend this to all clinicians who perform orthopedic examinations." - Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT), April 2011 (Book Reviews) ****** “CORE is a great addition to the burgeoning collection of medical applications on the iPhone...If their first application is any indication, it seems we will have more to celebrate in the future. ...excellent application for doing the musculoskeletal portion of the physical exam. ....stress how this is a great medical application for primary care physicians. All primary care physicians know how important a strong musculoskeletal physical exam can be, as they are often the first line for presenting symptoms.” - iMedicalApps The physical exam is an important part of the overall evaluation, and maneuvers/special tests are often used to evaluate and diagnose the patient. For almost every musculoskeletal ailment, there is a specific physical maneuver to perform. The results of that test indicate a positive or negative finding, providing a further clue to the diagnosis. Often, there are several tests for each issue. Some are better for diagnosis than others. That’s where CORE comes to the rescue. This useful little app contains over 400 medically referenced physical exam maneuvers. All the extremities are covered, as well as the spine. You get step-by-step text and video on how to perform the examination and a quick summary of references for each exam. CORE is the app you need for making your evidence-based, clinical diagnosis. Check out the CORE features: * Powerful pocket reference with periodic updates of emerging research * Almost 250 clinical tests to aid in diagnosis for musculoskeletal and orthopedic disorders * Covers tendinous, neuropathic, ligamentous problems for each body part * Descriptions on how to perform each test * Video demonstrations (streaming and with audio) * Diagnostic properties (reliability and validity) * Links to supporting medical references * Reference reviews via abstracts in PUBMed * Free updates when new tests are available in the literature, or new studies with diagnostic properties for old tests are published (No need to “buy a newer edition”) * Now optimized for iPad! * Please note that STREAMING VIDEOS AND PUBMED REFERENCE REVIEW REQUIRE AN ACTIVE NETWORK CONNECTION. You can download all the videos on your device to use independent of network connection. Download CORE now, the ultimate pocket reference for musculoskeletal diagnosis. *The information in this app should not be taken as medical advice. Contact a medical provider before making any medical decisions.

About

FP Notebook

A comprehensive medical reference for primary care and emergency clinicians, offering rapid access to over 6100 interlinked topic pages. Content is updated monthly through literature reviews and conferences, providing up-to-date information for medical professionals.

Highlights
  • Rapid access medical reference
  • Over 6100 interlinked topic pages
  • Content updated monthly
  • 31 specialty books
  • 700+ chapters
  • Point-of-care tool
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Family Practice Notebook is a rapid access, point-of-care medical reference for primary care and emergency clinicians. Started in 1995, this collection now contains over 6100 interlinked topic pages divided into a tree of 31 specialty books and over 700 chapters. FP Notebook’s content is updated monthly with systematic literature reviews and conferences. Please purchase an auto-renewing subscription to receive the latest content. The text content for this mobile application is identical to its online counterparts: fpnotebook.com and fpnotebook.com/mobile. Although access to this application is not restricted, the information found here is intended for use by medical providers. Non-clinical users may find the material challenging to understand, and should address specific medical concerns with their medical providers. Try before you buy with a 14-day FREE trial. After that it's only $24.99/year for access, including continuous content updates. Privacy Policy/Terms & Conditions - http://www.fpnotebook.com/disclaimer.htm

Screenshots

CORE4 screens
FP Notebook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FP Notebook at Free against CORE's $39.99. FP Notebook also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.2) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 31). CORE's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.3). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

FP Notebook is free to download; CORE costs $39.99 up front. CORE sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and FP Notebook sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FP Notebook holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FP Notebook has 3.3K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of CORE's written reviews are positive against 58% of FP Notebook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CORE ships an update every 3 months, FP Notebook every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
CORE versus FP Notebook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCOREFP Notebook
Price$39.99Free — better
Rating2.2 (31 ratings)4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.8% of reviews58.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings313.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#48 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better14.3
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB134 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperClinically Relevant TechnologiesAtmosphere Apps, Inc.

Customer experience

CORE

All ratings31 ratings
Positive25.8%
Neutral9.7%
Negative64.5%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive50.8%
Neutral9.5%
Negative39.7%

FP Notebook

All ratings3,297 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive58.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative41.8%

User reviews

CORE

From 31 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Useful for clinicians
  • 👍 Great for students
  • 👍 Comprehensive information
  • 👍 Links to videos
  • 👍 Evidence-based content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App not opening
  • 🐛 App crashing
  • 🐛 Videos not working
  • 🐛 Server errors
  • 🐛 Paid for upgrade, asked to pay again

FP Notebook

From 3.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Excellent, comprehensive medical reference
  • ⚡️ Efficient, concise, and easy to use
  • 🧠 Invaluable for medical students, residents, and practitioners
  • 🤝 Highly recommended by users
  • 🕰️ Frequently used and relied upon for years

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model frustrates some users who previously had free access
  • 🐞 Occasional app freezing or crashing issues reported
  • 🔍 Built-in search function could be improved

Bugs and requests

CORE

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • App will not open
  • App locks up
  • App unresponsive
  • Unable to connect to CRTech server
  • Videos don’t work
Show 8 more
  • App shuts down
  • CRTech server error
  • Upgrade paid for, but asked to pay again
  • Videos disappear from menu
  • Cannot open videos
  • Videos are soundless after update
  • Videos don't stay downloaded
  • Download module not working

Requested features

14 requests
  • Fix the app so it opens
  • Fix videos not working
  • Fix server errors
  • Provide refunds for non-functional app
  • Add more specific test information
Show 9 more
  • Add common treatment techniques
  • Add an algorithm for test selection
  • Add more exams/content
  • Improve discussion content on tests
  • Add a note-taking feature
  • Add suggestions for further testing
  • Optimize for iPad
  • Allow offline video viewing
  • Add pictures

FP Notebook

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App freezing or crashing on certain devices
  • Subscription issues or unexpected charges

Requested features

2 requests
  • Ability to earn continuing education credits through the app
  • Improved search functionality

In-app purchases

1 purchases

CORE

One-time1
  • CORE Exam Videos$5.99
3 purchases

FP Notebook

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$19.991 Year
  • Annual Sub14 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is CORE free?
CORE costs $39.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is FP Notebook free?
FP Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CORE or FP Notebook?
FP Notebook is rated higher. CORE averages 2.2 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while FP Notebook averages 4.8 from 3.3K ratings.
Do CORE or FP Notebook have ads?
Neither CORE nor FP Notebook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CORE or FP Notebook?
CORE ships an update every 3 months, and FP Notebook every 2 months. Most recently, CORE was updated on September 22, 2026 and FP Notebook on September 23, 2026.

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