Comparison

Dermatomes vs Bedside EM

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

Head to head
About

Dermatomes

This app offers a detailed, zoomable map of spinal nerve roots and their corresponding skin sensation areas. It includes charts of important landmarks and is designed for medical professionals and students as a quick reference for neuroanatomy.

Highlights
  • Zoomable dermatome map
  • Anterior and posterior views
  • Cutaneous nerve distribution
  • Reference chart of landmarks
  • Pinch-to-zoom functionality
Features
Read full description

Dermatomes is a handy reference map of which spinal nerve roots relay sensation from particular areas of the skin along with a cutaneous nerve distribution. Dermatomes provides a zoomable map of anterior and posterior dermatomes and cutaneous nerve distributions with a reference chart of important landmarks . Pinch to zoom in and out on the map. Dermatomes is an essential reference for neurologists, emergency physicians, family doctors, medical students, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and other medical professionals – or anyone curious about neuroanatomy and the workings of the human body. Featured in Apple's 2010 essential apps for medical students. Consult a doctor if you are experiencing neurological symptoms. This app should not be relied upon to make clinical decisions, which remain the full responsibility of the user. Dermatomes are variable between individuals and the pattern of sensory loss is usually less than the entire dermatome, because of overlap. The map and landmarks presented are a consensus view drawn from numerous sources. Dermatomes comes with lifetime email support.

About

Bedside EM

This comprehensive medical reference app provides evidence-based, peer-reviewed information for emergency medicine providers and those caring for acutely ill patients. It features a searchable, offline database with continuously updated content and a user-friendly interface.

Highlights
  • Offline access
  • Searchable database
  • Evidence-based content
  • Peer-reviewed updates
  • Pediatric tape
  • Clinical decision rules
Features
Read full description

START YOUR 30 DAY FREE TRIAL TODAY! Bedside EM (formerly ERres) is the ORIGINAL emergency medicine app designed for where you need it the most.. at the bedside! First released in 2011, Bedside EM has been consistently ranked as one of the best medical apps worldwide! Continuously updated, evidence-based and peer reviewed!! The entire app is searchable and available offline!! And although Bedside EM was created with emergency medicine providers in mind, it has proven to be a great resource for ANYONE who takes care of acutely ill patients including other doctors, PAs/NPs, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, and students!! Starting in 2024 I have decided to go ALL IN to ensure Bedside EM continues to be the best emergency medicine app out there. This began with a complete overhaul of the app from the ground up to improve user experience. Some things were added, some things were removed. Many more additions will be coming later in the year. I hope you like it! I am now in the process of updating the styling for EVERY section within Bedside EM to align with the new layout and support dynamic text and dark mode. This is a very time-consuming process. Thus far I have updated the “pediatric tape” and all of the clinical decision rules, as these tend to be quite popular. The other sections will all be updated over the next few months. Once that is completed, the plan is to go back and UPDATE EVERY SECTION with the latest evidence-based medicine recommendations before then adding some brand new stuff. Exciting times!!! FREE 30 DAY TRIAL! To make the above possible/sustainable, a paid subscription is required to use this app starting 2024. All prior users will be granted lifetime access for free. App Subscription Options: ∙ Yearly (annual auto-renewable subscription) The subscription period will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. To turn this function off, simply go to your iTunes account and turn off auto-renew. Renewal payments will differ depending on subscription and pricing at the time of renewal. Your iTunes account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Terms and Conditions: https://www.darkmedicalapps.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.darkmedicalapps.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Dermatomes3 screens
Bedside EM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bedside EM at Free against Dermatomes's $0.99. Bedside EM also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (85% vs 64%). Dermatomes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On ads and device support 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

Bedside EM is free to download; Dermatomes costs $0.99 up front. Bedside EM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Dermatomes asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bedside EM holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bedside EM has 60 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Dermatomes's written reviews are positive against 85% of Bedside EM's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dermatomes ships an update every 6 weeks, Bedside EM every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Dermatomes versus Bedside EM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDermatomesBedside EM
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating3.0 (4 ratings)4.2 (60 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.9% of reviews84.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings460 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB39 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCodev LtdDark Medical Apps LLC

Customer experience

Dermatomes

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive63.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.1%

Bedside EM

All ratings60 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive84.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative12.8%

Bugs and requests

Dermatomes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Bedside EM

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Lost notes and bookmarks since update
  • Categories reorganized and hard to find
  • Temporarily lost access after rebranding
  • EKG illustrations covered by back task bar

Requested features

10 requests
  • Update privacy label
  • Add settings button to enlarge print
  • Add an 'update' option for newest information
  • Support French language
  • Add more categories
Show 5 more
  • Add a notes section
  • Add more info to toxicology
  • Improve content depth
  • Fix orientation quirk
  • Remove ad banner

In-app purchases

None

Dermatomes

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Bedside EM

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$199.99

Questions

Is Dermatomes free?
Dermatomes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bedside EM free?
Bedside EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Dermatomes or Bedside EM?
Bedside EM is rated higher. Dermatomes averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Bedside EM averages 4.2 from 60 ratings.
Do Dermatomes or Bedside EM have ads?
Neither Dermatomes nor Bedside EM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dermatomes or Bedside EM?
Dermatomes ships an update every 6 weeks, and Bedside EM every 5 months. Most recently, Dermatomes was updated on October 11, 2026 and Bedside EM on October 10, 2026.

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