# Calculate by QxMD vs ESC Pocket Guidelines

The clearest difference is ads: ESC Pocket Guidelines at none against Calculate by QxMD's shown. ESC Pocket Guidelines also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Calculate by QxMD's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 53%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Calculate by QxMD against 4.8 for ESC Pocket Guidelines. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calculate by QxMD has 5.1K ratings behind it against 841, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Calculate by QxMD's written reviews are positive against 53% of ESC Pocket Guidelines's.

Calculate by QxMD ships an update every 6 weeks, ESC Pocket Guidelines every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calculate by QxMD | ESC Pocket Guidelines |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (5.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calculate-by-qxmd/id361811483/reviews) | **[4.8 (841 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esc-pocket-guidelines/id683079599/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.1K** | 841 |
| Positive reviews | **86.5% of reviews** | 52.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 118 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | +17 |
| Developer | [WebMD](https://appshunter.io/developer/295076332) | [ESC - European Society of Cardiology](https://appshunter.io/developer/440684535) |

## What reviewers say

### Calculate by QxMD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calculate-by-qxmd/id361811483)

This clinical calculator and decision support tool offers over 200 medical calculators and tools for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. It adapts to your practice and provides detailed references, integrating with PubMed and Read by QxMD.

**Highlights:** Over 200 medical calculators, Clinical decision support tools, Cardiology, internal medicine, and more, Knowledge translation from research, Question Flow technology, PubMed & Read integration, SI and Imperial units

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent app
- 📋 Comprehensive set of calculators
- 🔍 Helpful references and explanations
- 🔧 Useful for daily practice
- 🧠 Great for students and trainees

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes or crashes
- 🔍 Some calculators not working
- 🔑 Repeated login requests
- 🔍 Outdated or missing features
- 🚫 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes when using multiple calculators
- Unable to add items to favorites list
- Unable to see calculation results after input
- App crashes on startup without internet connection
- Landscape mode not working on iPad

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save/favorite frequently used calculators
- Integration with electronic health records
- Metric to imperial unit conversion
- More specialized calculators (e.g., opioid equivalence, pediatric BP)


### ESC Pocket Guidelines

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esc-pocket-guidelines/id683079599)

Access a comprehensive library of the latest cardiovascular disease guidelines and consensus statements from the European Society of Cardiology. Features include interactive algorithms, full-text search, bookmarking, note-taking, and content sharing capabilities for quick reference and study.

**Highlights:** Latest ESC Guidelines (2023-2025), Interactive algorithms, Full-text search, Bookmarking and notes, Content sharing, Printable pages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Practical and handy for clinical use
- 📚 Valuable medical information and guidelines
- ⭐ Excellent content quality
- 🎯 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and stability issues
- 🔐 Sign-in system problematic and unnecessary
- 📖 Small font size and poor design readability
- ❌ Missing content topics after updates
- ⚪ Blank white page display issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iPad and iPhone devices
- Login authentication failures
- White blank page display
- App crashes when opening pathways
- Guidelines not appearing in downloaded folder

**Requested features**

- Update to support iPad Mini 6 resolution
- Include 2023 ESC Congress updates
- Remove or make sign-in optional
- Improve font size and design for better readability
- Add new guidelines (e.g., 2013 stable angina guidelines)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calculate by QxMD free?

Calculate by QxMD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ESC Pocket Guidelines free?

ESC Pocket Guidelines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Calculate by QxMD or ESC Pocket Guidelines?

ESC Pocket Guidelines is rated higher. Calculate by QxMD averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while ESC Pocket Guidelines averages 4.8 from 841 ratings.

### Do Calculate by QxMD or ESC Pocket Guidelines have ads?

Calculate by QxMD shows ads; ESC Pocket Guidelines does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calculate by QxMD or ESC Pocket Guidelines?

Calculate by QxMD ships an update every 6 weeks, and ESC Pocket Guidelines every 4 months. Most recently, Calculate by QxMD was updated on November 1, 2026 and ESC Pocket Guidelines on November 1, 2026.

---

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