# AO Surgery Reference vs CIVA Pro

AO Surgery Reference and CIVA Pro both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of CIVA Pro's written reviews are positive against 86% of AO Surgery Reference's. CIVA Pro also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). AO Surgery Reference's advantage is ratings volume (14 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 — 4.4 for AO Surgery Reference against 4.5 for CIVA Pro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AO Surgery Reference has 14 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of AO Surgery Reference's written reviews are positive against 100% of CIVA Pro's.

AO Surgery Reference ships an update every 6 months, CIVA Pro every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AO Surgery Reference | CIVA Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao-surgery-reference/id403961165/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/civa-pro/id1055369241/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 85.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [AO Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/399757056) | [BioDigital, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/581713012) |

## What reviewers say

### AO Surgery Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao-surgery-reference/id403961165)

Access a comprehensive online repository of surgical knowledge for fracture management. It provides detailed guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare for numerous fracture types, supported by extensive illustrations and expert review.

**Highlights:** 353 fracture types covered, 172 surgical approaches, 1222 surgical procedures, Over 30,000 illustrations, Feline, canine, and equine fracture care, Powerful search function

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### CIVA Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/civa-pro/id1055369241)

This surgical simulation platform offers an interactive way to learn and understand complex craniofacial procedures. It breaks down ten surgical steps with integrated video, voiceovers, images, and 3D labels, preparing medical professionals for intricate operations.

**Highlights:** Interactive surgical simulation, Ten discrete surgical procedure steps, Intra-operative video integration, Voiceover and image overlays, 3D anatomical labels, Didactic knowledge access

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AO Surgery Reference free?

AO Surgery Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CIVA Pro free?

CIVA Pro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AO Surgery Reference or CIVA Pro?

CIVA Pro is rated higher. AO Surgery Reference averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while CIVA Pro averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do AO Surgery Reference or CIVA Pro have ads?

Neither AO Surgery Reference nor CIVA Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AO Surgery Reference or CIVA Pro?

AO Surgery Reference ships an update every 6 months, and CIVA Pro every 4 months. Most recently, AO Surgery Reference was updated on October 11, 2026 and CIVA Pro on October 7, 2026.

---

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