Comparison

Physical Exam Essentials vs Bates' Pocket Guide

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

Head to head
About

Physical Exam Essentials

This app provides a quick overview of patient physical exams, serving as a reference for medical students and professionals. It helps users remember exam techniques, view illustrations, and understand the significance of findings. It's designed for quick reviews of procedures across various medical categories.

Highlights
  • Quick overview of patient physical exams
  • Illustrations of exam maneuvers
  • Clinical Correlates for findings
  • Descriptions of special tests
  • Guide for describing findings
  • 14 different examination categories
Features
Read full description

Learn the physical examination step by step, from the health history to the neurologic exam. Physical Exam Essentials is a study aid for nursing, medical and physician assistant students, and for anyone reviewing the exam before an OSCE or a skills check. Each section walks through what to inspect, palpate, percuss and auscultate, in order, with photographs of the maneuvers. It was written by a physician. PRACTICE FOR YOUR OSCE Every section has an OSCE station: the steps an examiner marks, in order, from the opening (hand hygiene, introduction, consent, chaperone) through the examination to the closing and what you would do to complete it. Practice it in Recall: each step stays hidden; say it out loud, reveal it, and mark whether you had it, against a station timer. At the end you see your score, your time and the steps you missed, then present your findings. Or use Checklist to tick off each step as you examine a partner. You can also practice a section's full text, or one topic at a time. 14 SECTIONS The Health History, The General Survey, Skin and Nails, HEENT and Neck, Thorax and Lungs, Breast and Axillae, Cardiovascular, Peripheral Vascular, Abdominal, Male Genitalia, Anus, Rectum and Prostate, Female Genitalia, Anus and Rectum, Mental Status, Cranial Nerves, and the Neurologic Exam. WHAT'S INSIDE - 61 topics and 68 photographs and diagrams - Clinical Correlates: what a finding can mean, set apart from the steps - Special Tests that go beyond a routine exam - Presentation Tips for describing your findings out loud - Further reading at the end of every section, linking to MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) and Stanford Medicine 25 - An OSCE station for every section, with a timer and your last score kept - Search across every section, including inside the text - Continue reading where you left off, plus Favorites and Recently Opened - iPhone and iPad, Dark Mode, and text that grows with your text size setting NEW IN THIS VERSION The app has been rebuilt from the ground up. The text is easier to read at any size, the photographs open full screen, and corrections now reach you without waiting for an App Store update. Spot something wrong? Report a problem from the end of any section; we read every report. PRIVACY No account, no ads, no tracking. Your favorites stay on your device. We collect anonymous usage to improve the app; the words you search for are never sent. Details are in the app under More > Privacy. A STUDY AID Physical Exam Essentials is for learning and review. It is not a clinical reference, not medical advice, and not a basis for any decision about a patient. Learn the examination from your instructors and a current textbook, and practice it under supervision.

About

Bates' Pocket Guide

This app provides essential information for obtaining health histories and conducting physical exams. It features step-by-step techniques, updated images, and differential diagnoses for quick and accurate interpretation of findings. Ideal for students and professionals needing a fast reference.

Highlights
  • Over 130 detailed topics
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Updated photographs and illustrations
  • Two-column layout
  • New Algorithms for symptom approaches
  • Differential diagnoses
  • Highlighting and note-taking
  • Advanced search
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

*Featuring the latest content from the latest edition* ABOUT THE BATES' GUIDE: The Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking contains the critical information needed to obtain a meaningful health history, conduct a thorough physical exam, and interpret the findings quickly and accurately. Locate answers fast and review step-by-step techniques and possible findings using the distinctive two-column format with updated images. Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking is the ideal quick-reference resource for today’s medical, PA, pharmacy, and nursing students. FEATURES: • Over 130 detailed topics with step-by-step instructions • Updated photographs, illustrations, and references reinforce key content based on the latest evidence-based information • Two-column layout optimized for smartphones and tablets • New Algorithms provide helpful starting approaches for patients with common presenting symptoms. • Differential diagnoses for common, normal, and abnormal findings • Highlight and take notes within any entry • Advanced Search helps find topics quickly • “Favorites” for bookmarking important entries Authors: Lynn S. Bickley MD, FACP, Peter G. Szilagyi MD, MPH, Richard M. Hoffman MD, MPH, FACP, Rainier P. Soriano MD Publisher: Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Powered by: Unbound Medicine Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement

Screenshots

Physical Exam Essentials4 screens
Bates' Pocket Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bates' Pocket Guide at Free against Physical Exam Essentials's $2.99. Bates' Pocket Guide also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (301 vs 10). Physical Exam Essentials's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download; Physical Exam Essentials costs $2.99 up front. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Physical Exam Essentials asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bates' Pocket Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 301 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Physical Exam Essentials's written reviews are positive against 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Physical Exam Essentials ships an update every 10 months, Bates' Pocket Guide every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Physical Exam Essentials versus Bates' Pocket Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysical Exam EssentialsBates' Pocket Guide
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating2.7 (10 ratings)4.8 (301 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.1% of reviews — better40.9% of reviews
Number of ratings10301 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 months — betterEvery 14 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#195 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB10 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperHipposoft, LLCUnbound Medicine, Inc.

Customer experience

Physical Exam Essentials

All ratings10 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive44.1%
Neutral21.5%
Negative34.4%

Bates' Pocket Guide

All ratings301 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral13.6%
Negative45.5%

User reviews

Physical Exam Essentials

From 10 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great quick reference
  • 👍 Useful for studying
  • 👍 Good for medical students
  • 👍 Informative content
  • 👍 Easy to navigate

Room to improve

  • 👎 Lacks depth/superficial content
  • 👎 Outdated interface/design
  • 👎 Annoying disclaimer/ads
  • 👎 Not comprehensive enough
  • 👎 Poorly formatted

Bates' Pocket Guide

From 301 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Reliable reference
  • 🖼️ Helpful pictures for diagnosis
  • 📚 Good for quick reference
  • 💡 Easy to understand and logical format
  • 🎯 Useful for clinicals and easy to maneuver

Room to improve

  • 💰 Overpriced app
  • 🔄 Outdated software
  • 🖱️ Not user-friendly navigation
  • 💸 Repeated payments required
  • ❌ Incorrect information/algorithms

Bugs and requests

Physical Exam Essentials

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App no longer works after iOS update
  • Doesn't work
  • Download issue
  • Incorrect abdominal quadrants labelling
  • Advertisements on a PAID app
Show 2 more
  • New version includes advertisements
  • Disclaimer popping up constantly

Requested features

18 requests
  • MSK section
  • Ability to change font size
  • Update app overall
  • Add musculoskeletal system
  • Add MSK section with specific tests
Show 13 more
  • Improve interface design
  • Optimize for newer iOS versions
  • Add more detail/explanations
  • Add trial/demo option
  • Add larger font option
  • Add retina artwork
  • Add iPhone 6/6 Plus support
  • Add musculoskeletal exam
  • Add tabs for inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
  • Explain non-normal findings
  • Explain techniques for performing exams
  • Add more pictures
  • Add dark mode option

Bates' Pocket Guide

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Sectional information is wrong
  • Topics do not correlate to information
  • Asterisk information is incorrect
  • App information needs updating and reviewing
  • Software is glitchy
Show 4 more
  • Hard to navigate between topics
  • Algorithm images are mismatched with titles
  • Doesn't take Bates account
  • Didn't work (iOS 7)

Requested features

5 requests
  • Update and review app information for accuracy
  • Improve content layout and navigation
  • Offer better preview options before purchase
  • Provide discounts for existing textbook/resource owners
  • Clarify product offerings to avoid buyer confusion

In-app purchases

None

Physical Exam Essentials

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Bates' Pocket Guide

One-time1
  • Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99

Questions

Is Physical Exam Essentials free?
Physical Exam Essentials costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Physical Exam Essentials or Bates' Pocket Guide?
Bates' Pocket Guide is rated higher. Physical Exam Essentials averages 2.7 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 from 301 ratings.
Do Physical Exam Essentials or Bates' Pocket Guide have ads?
Neither Physical Exam Essentials nor Bates' Pocket Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Physical Exam Essentials or Bates' Pocket Guide?
Physical Exam Essentials ships an update every 10 months, and Bates' Pocket Guide every 14 months. Most recently, Physical Exam Essentials was updated on October 16, 2026 and Bates' Pocket Guide on October 13, 2026.

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