Comparison

Bedside EM vs Chest X

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

Head to head
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

About

Chest X

This app aids in learning and revising chest X-ray interpretation for medical professionals and students. It covers normal anatomy, pathology, and interpretation techniques with audio commentary and interactive features.

Highlights
  • Learn normal anatomy and pathology
  • Prepare for rounds and examinations
  • Develop foundational interpretation skills
  • Comprehensive review of thoracic anatomy
  • Author's audio commentary
  • Take personal notes and add to favorites
  • Step-by-step 'How To' guides
Features
Read full description

Discover Radiology: Chest X-Ray Interpretation, winner of the 2014 British Medical Association Medical Book Awards in Radiology, now available as a well-designed mobile application that facilitates learning and revision with easy navigation, notes, quick search, and the author’s audio commentary to the How to guides. ”Discovery Radiology: Chest X-Ray Interpretation“ has been described as “outstanding” and “an authoritative exposition of the art of chest radiolography.” BMA Reviewer What’s in it for you? For learners, the app will: - Help you learn the basics needed for successful chest x-ray interpretation. This includes normal thoracic anatomy and pathology. - Help you prepare for rounds. You will be able to present cases at rounds with confidence. - Help you prepare for your examinations. No more getting tricked up on chest x-ray cases. - Help you develop the foundational skills that will allow you to capitalize on all the case studies available on the internet. For practicing physicians, the app will: - Provide you with a comprehensive review of the anatomy and radiological anatomy of the thorax. - Provide you with enabling insights into the interpretation process that you may not have received during your previous training. - Help you develop the skill of identifying all chest x-ray pathologies, not only the obvious. Provide you with resources to help you get the message across to your students. Features: - Instantly access Case Studies, Checklists, How to, Radiological Anatomy through the Quick List. - Take your own notes in the app and access them whenever needed. - Add chapters and sections to your favorites. - Highlight most important fragments and add to note. - Listen to the author’s commentary on How To sections. Structure: Section I* provides an overview of how x-rays are used to produce an image of the chest. The section is divided into 5 chapters that examine the building blocks necessary for chest x-ray interpretation. The chapters review x-ray image production and the general concepts related to image appearance. Section II* introduces the concept of radiological zones to give you a starting point in the understanding of the radiological anatomy of the chest. The next chapters review in detail the radiological anatomy of specific anatomical structures, also provide examples of how the x-ray image can change due to pathology. The final chapter explains how the individual structures come together to form the radiological image. Section III* starts with a chapter on how to interpret the chest x-ray; this is where you begin to put your new knowledge into practice. Now that you know what to look for, you can do so in a systematic way to ensure the accurate identification of pathology. Special content: How To’s – 34 step-by-step guides, with annotated x-rays, to illustrate key skills needed to confidentially interpret chest x-ray. Visual Searches – 8 visual guides to illustrate the sequential checks that should be performed in a visual search of given anatomical structure or radiological zone on a chest x-ray. Radiological Checklist – 12 illustrated list of items that should be evaluated for a given anatomical structure or radiological zone, in the process of interpreting a chest x-ray. Radiological Anatomy – Descriptions of various anatomical structures as they would appear on PA and lateral chest x-rays. Case Studies – Practical and Clinical Case Studies collected from the whole app help check current skills. Pathology – Numerous interesting examples of pathology related to specific anatomical structures and regions. Visit our website to explore interesting radiology cases and interviews https://empendium.com/chestxrayinterpretation Join our virtual community! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CXRInt Please note: - A network connection is required to download additional figures and audio descriptions.

Screenshots

Bedside EM4 screens
Chest X4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bedside EM at 85% against Chest X's 0%. Bedside EM also leads on price (Free vs $6.99) and rating (4.2 vs 3.0). Chest X's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.4). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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; Chest X costs $6.99 up front. Bedside EM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Chest X sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 61 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Bedside EM's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chest X's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bedside EM ships an update every 5 months, Chest X every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Bedside EM versus Chest X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBedside EMChest X
PriceFree — better$6.99
Rating4.2 (61 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings61 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.411.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB43 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDark Medical Apps LLCMedycyna Praktyczna

Customer experience

Bedside EM

All ratings60 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive85.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative12.6%

Chest X

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and 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

Chest X

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Bedside EM

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

Chest X

One-time1
  • Full access$6.99

Questions

Is Bedside EM free?
Bedside EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chest X free?
Chest X costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bedside EM or Chest X?
Bedside EM is rated higher. Bedside EM averages 4.2 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Chest X averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Bedside EM or Chest X have ads?
Neither Bedside EM nor Chest X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bedside EM or Chest X?
Bedside EM ships an update every 5 months, and Chest X every 3 months. Most recently, Bedside EM was updated on October 22, 2026 and Chest X on October 2, 2026.

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