# MD on Call vs The Ottawa Rules

The clearest difference is price: The Ottawa Rules at Free against MD on Call's $9.99. The Ottawa Rules also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). MD on Call's advantage is chart position (#171 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

The Ottawa Rules is free to download; MD on Call costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MD on Call against 5.0 for The Ottawa Rules. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of MD on Call's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Ottawa Rules's.

MD on Call ships an update every 4 months, The Ottawa Rules every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MD on Call | The Ottawa Rules |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/md-on-call/id333195169/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ottawa-rules/id1104004722/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 78.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#171** | — |
| Size | 17 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Messil inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333195172) | [Ottawa Hospital Research Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/574951918) |

## What reviewers say

### MD on Call

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/md-on-call/id333195169)

**Currently charting:** #171 Top Paid · Medical (US App Store)

This app provides quick, practical guidance for physicians, residents, and medical students to manage common on-call issues. It offers concise tips for acute assessment and management, helping users efficiently address patient problems without needing to consult lengthy textbooks.

**Highlights:** Quick assessment and management tips, Covers 26 frequent on-call situations, Management of common electrolyte abnormalities, ECG interpretation with examples, Guidance on writing medical orders, Searchable by acronyms and keywords

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Handy checklist for on-duty
- 👍 Useful in ER
- 👍 Great app design
- 👍 Packed with useful info
- 👍 Pragmatic content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Could cover more content
- 👎 Needs update for iPhone X
- 👎 Content and references outdated
- 👎 Needs a refresh
- 👎 More conditions could be added

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatible with iPhone X
- Incorrect advice regarding Metaclopramide
- Incorrect TDF to morphine conversion data

**Requested features**

- Cover more content
- Update for iPhone X compatibility
- Revise content and references for up-to-date information
- Add more conditions
- Include common diseases and treatments


### The Ottawa Rules

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-ottawa-rules/id1104004722)

This app provides accessible clinical decision rules developed by researchers to help healthcare professionals make informed choices. It aims to reduce unnecessary diagnostic imaging and emergency room wait times, improving patient comfort and healthcare costs.

**Highlights:** Accessible clinical decision rules, Reduces unnecessary imaging, Decreases ER wait times, Enhances patient comfort, Lowers healthcare costs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MD on Call free?

MD on Call costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Ottawa Rules free?

The Ottawa Rules is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MD on Call or The Ottawa Rules?

MD on Call and The Ottawa Rules are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do MD on Call or The Ottawa Rules have ads?

Neither MD on Call nor The Ottawa Rules shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MD on Call or The Ottawa Rules?

MD on Call ships an update every 4 months, and The Ottawa Rules every 2 months. Most recently, MD on Call was updated on October 31, 2026 and The Ottawa Rules on November 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*