# MBS Search vs APLS Australia

The clearest difference is rating: MBS Search at 5.0 against APLS Australia's 3.0. MBS Search also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 11 months) and review sentiment (49% vs 20%). APLS Australia's advantage is iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

MBS Search holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of MBS Search's written reviews are positive against 20% of APLS Australia's.

MBS Search ships an update every 6 weeks, APLS Australia every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MBS Search | APLS Australia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mbs-search/id359823085/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apls-australia/id760201972/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | **49.3% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 28 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Umbrella Network Pty Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/359823088) | [Advanced Paediatric Life Support, Australia](https://appshunter.io/developer/760201975) |

## What reviewers say

### MBS Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mbs-search/id359823085)

Access the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule on your iPhone to quickly find item numbers and calculate bills. It offers fee descriptions with Gap Cover rates and allows for easy bill emailing and creation of favorite item lists.

**Highlights:** Find Medicare item numbers quickly, Calculate bills for multiple item numbers, View Gap Cover rates, Automatic Assistant fee calculations, Email bills and item numbers, Create favorite item lists

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast search
- 💡 Up-to-date codes
- 👍 User friendly
- 💡 Great for surgeons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashing
- 🐛 Unstable
- 🐛 Favorites disappear
- 🐛 Item numbers not updated
- 🐛 Inaccurate calculations

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after latest update
- Item numbers difficult to find for GP
- Medicare rebate calculation incorrect
- Crashing frequently
- No ability to change insurance details

**Requested features**

- Update insurance covers
- Update with July release codes
- Add landscape orientation for iPad
- Improve sorting of categories
- Easier favorite adding


### APLS Australia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apls-australia/id760201972)

Provides paediatric emergency algorithms for medical professionals in acute care. Features flowcharts for various emergencies, updated for current guidelines. Also offers information on courses and conferences.

**Highlights:** Paediatric emergency algorithms, Easy reference flowcharts, Cardiac arrest management, Anaphylaxis management, Newborn life support, Course information, Conference details

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MBS Search free?

MBS Search is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is APLS Australia free?

APLS Australia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MBS Search or APLS Australia?

MBS Search is rated higher. MBS Search averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while APLS Australia averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do MBS Search or APLS Australia have ads?

Neither MBS Search nor APLS Australia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MBS Search or APLS Australia?

MBS Search ships an update every 6 weeks, and APLS Australia every 11 months. Most recently, MBS Search was updated on October 22, 2026 and APLS Australia on October 26, 2026.

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