# Physical Exam Essentials vs Bates' Pocket Guide

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Physical Exam Essentials | Bates' Pocket Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/physical-exam-essentials/id343091870/reviews) | **[4.8 (301 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **301** |
| Positive reviews | **44.1% of reviews** | 40.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 months** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#195** |
| Size | 10 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Hipposoft, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/314644548) | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) |

## What reviewers say

### Physical Exam Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/physical-exam-essentials/id343091870)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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- 👎 Outdated interface/design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

**Reported bugs**

- App no longer works after iOS update
- Doesn't work
- Download issue
- Incorrect abdominal quadrants labelling
- Advertisements on a PAID app

**Requested features**

- MSK section
- Ability to change font size
- Update app overall
- Add musculoskeletal system
- Add MSK section with specific tests


### Bates' Pocket Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed. | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Sectional information is wrong
- Topics do not correlate to information
- Asterisk information is incorrect
- App information needs updating and reviewing
- Software is glitchy

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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.

---

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