MD on Call vs BiliCalc
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MD on Call
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.
- 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
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"fantastic for a review when rushing to a consult." -- Casey Park MD on Call is already trusted by thousands of physicians, residents and medical students around the world. We’ve been there; At 3 AM, you don’t feel like going through a textbook or a long UpToDate article; you just want to get things done. **************** REVIEWS "If you have ever needed a quick reference to learn on the fly or been stumped by a late night call while cross-covering and you are willing to spend a few dollars to avoid that feeling, you should consider this app." iMedicalApps.com “It has all those handy little things that drug guides and medical references just don’t capture concisely.” “I would pay at least double the cost for this handy little reference.” Dr Jessica Otte, drottematic blog **************** **************** AUDIENCE junior residents, interns and medical students INTRO In medical school, we learn a lot about diseases and the basis for their management. However, we are traditionally less exposed to apparently easy problems like pain, nausea or hypokalemia. Quite often, those issues are brought to the attention of the nursing staff in the evening. At that time, the treating team is away and you're on call, running all over the hospital. MD on Call gives you tips on how to QUICKLY assess and manage (acutely) common problems so you can go on assessing the next patient, or to your room to get some well deserved sleep. -- it is NOT meant to replace a textbook -- FEATURES MD on call is divided into 5 main sections: • Issues • 26 frequent on call situations (including management of some specific conditions) Abdominal Pain* Acute Coronary Syndrome* Agitation / Violence Anaphylaxis Bleeding Bradycardia* Chest Pain Constipation Death (Pronouncing) Decreased LOC Dysuria / UTI* Dyspnea Fever Febrile neutropenia Headache Hypertension Hypotension Insomnia Meningitis Nausea / Vomiting Pain Palliation Pneumonia Seizure Tachycardia Wound Dehiscence Wound Infection • Labs • Common electrolytes abnormalities (including management) Hypo Ca, K, Mg, Na, PO4, glycemia Hyper Ca, K, Na, glycemia • ECG • Normal and abnormal ECG values, now with examples • Misc • Suggestions on how to write orders for admission, "comfort measures only", "on call" notes, OR and procedure notes. Transfusions: general information and common reactions Misc: CSF values, opioid conversion... • Lines and Tubes • How to manage common problems, such as a blocked NG tube. • Search • Search using acronyms or keywords **************** Feedback is more than welcome : visit the website for more details **************** DISCLAIMER This publication (application) is to be used as a guide only. It is intended only for use by licensed medical practitioners and medical students. Every doctor (or prescriber) is responsible for their actions. This guide is not meant to replace clinical judgment. The authors of MD on call make no claims regarding the accuracy of the information contained herein. The authors of this application and its content shall not be liable for any injury and/or damage to persons or property arising from the use of this application. It is the responsible of the licensed prescriber to verify the indications, contraindications and dosage of the medication (and actions) they prescribe.
BiliCalc
This app calculates phototherapy thresholds for newborns based on age, bilirubin levels, and neurotoxicity risk, referencing AAP guidelines. It displays values on a phototherapy nomogram and identifies the patient's risk zone using the Bhutani Nomogram.
- Calculates phototherapy threshold for newborns
- Displays values on phototherapy nomogram
- Identifies patient risk zone using Bhutani Nomogram
- Calculates age from birth and lab times
- Direct links to reference articles and risk factors
- Supports US and SI units
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BiliCalc is a neonatal bilirubin calculator and clinical reference for healthcare professionals caring for newborn infants born at 35 or more weeks of gestation. Calculations are based on the 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the management of hyperbilirubinemia in newborn infants 35 or more weeks of gestation. Enter the infant's postnatal age, gestational age at birth, bilirubin value, measurement type, applicable neurotoxicity risk factors, and phototherapy status to view: • Patient-specific phototherapy, escalation-of-care, and exchange-transfusion thresholds • A graph displaying the bilirubin value and applicable treatment thresholds • Guideline-based treatment recommendations • Post-discharge follow-up guidance, when applicable No internet connection is required for calculations. BiliCalc performs calculations locally on the device and can be used without Wi-Fi or cellular data. BiliCalc is designed for quick clinical reference and does not measure bilirubin. Bilirubin values and other clinical information must be obtained independently and entered by the healthcare professional. Clinical references and links to source material are available within the app. BiliCalc is intended to support, not replace, professional clinical judgment. It is independently developed and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BiliCalc at $1.99 against MD on Call's $9.99. BiliCalc also leads on chart position (#168 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). MD on Call's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 66%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
MD on Call costs $9.99 and BiliCalc $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MD on Call ships an update every 4 months, BiliCalc every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MD on Call | BiliCalc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.1% of reviews — better | 65.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #168 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Messil inc. | Jacob Beniflah, MD |
Customer experience
MD on Call
BiliCalc
User reviews
MD on Call
From 1 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Handy checklist for on-duty
- 👍 Useful in ER
- 👍 Great app design
- 👍 Packed with useful info
- 👍 Pragmatic content
Room to improve
- 👎 Could cover more content
- 👎 Needs update for iPhone X
- 👎 Content and references outdated
- 👎 Needs a refresh
- 👎 More conditions could be added
BiliCalc
From App Store reviewsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Simple design
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- ⏱️ Time saver
- 👍 Great for quick calculations
Room to improve
- ❌ Outdated guidelines (2004)
- ❌ Not updated for 2022 guidelines
- ❌ Inaccurate plotting (historical)
- ❌ Potentially dangerous inaccuracies
- ❌ Appears abandoned
Bugs and requests
MD on Call
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incompatible with iPhone X
- Incorrect advice regarding Metaclopramide
- Incorrect TDF to morphine conversion data
Requested features
16 requests- 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
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- Add an 'edit' function to modify and add vignettes
- Add more clinical scenarios
- Add medicine dose information
- Add drug interaction information
- Include more information with supporting references
- More streamlined interface
- Translate to German
- Translate to French
- Add more topics
- Add more clinical high yields and topics
- Add more futures needed while oncall
BiliCalc
Reported bugs
5 issues- Intermittently inaccurate plotting of bili values
- Plots bili at lower than value entered
- Graph is backwards (historical)
- Instability misspelled (historical)
- Graph errors when on phone call (historical)
Requested features
5 requests- Update to 2022 guidelines
- Include transcutaneous measurements
- Show hours since birth on graph
- Plot more than one point on graph
- Add dark mode option
In-app purchases
MD on Call
No in-app purchases
BiliCalc
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MD on Call free?
Is BiliCalc free?
Do MD on Call or BiliCalc have ads?
Which is updated more often, MD on Call or BiliCalc?
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