Comparison

Bedside EM vs Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med

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

Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med

Enhance your diagnostic skills with a vast library of visual cases. This app offers a self-testing tool for medical professionals and trainees, simulating real-life emergency scenarios. Access a comprehensive collection of visual diagnosis cases to improve speed and accuracy in critical care.

Highlights
  • 110 randomly presented visual diagnosis cases
  • Self-testing for board examinations
  • Refresher for qualified providers
  • SmartSearch technology for quick information retrieval
  • Offline access to content
  • Includes new and updated cases
Features
Read full description

"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. An in-App purchase is required to unlock all content.   Improve your skills in visual diagnosis. An ideal aid for trainees preparing for Board examinations as well as an invaluable ‘refresher’ for qualified emergency and critical care providers. Speed and accuracy of diagnosis is the key to saving lives in emergency and critical care medicine. Careful visual inspection of the patient, the data (radiography, electrocardiogram), and related clues can often help providers choose the right diagnosis and ultimately the best treatment – but this knowledge comes with experience. Visual Diagnosis in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, 2nd Edition provides 110 randomly presented visual diagnosis cases for self-testing, imitating real-life situations found in the emergency department setting. Written by distinguished emergency and critical care physicians, and thoroughly revised and updated throughout, this second edition includes 25% new cases and is an ideal aid for trainees preparing for Board examinations as well as an invaluable ‘refresher’ for qualified emergency and critical care providers. No internet connection is required to access the content after the initial download. Find information quickly using powerful SmartSearch technology. Search part of term for those hard to spell medical terms. Content licensed from printed ISBN 10: 9781444333473 Content licensed from printed ISBN 13: 978-1444333473   If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-30000   Privacy Policy-https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions-https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx   Editor(s): Christopher P. Holstege,MD; Alexander B. Baer, MD; Jesse M. Pines, MD; William J. Brady, MD; Publisher: John Wiley & Son Inc. and its affiliates

Screenshots

Bedside EM4 screens
Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bedside EM at 4.2 against Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med's 3.7. Bedside EM also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (61 vs 3). Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Bedside EM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med 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 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bedside EM has 61 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bedside EM ships an update every 5 months, Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Bedside EM versus Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBedside EMVisual Diagnosis Emergency Med
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (61 ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews85.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings61 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB48 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDark Medical Apps LLCSkyscape Medpresso Inc

Customer experience

Bedside EM

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

Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

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

Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med

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

Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med

One-time1
  • Visual Diag EmergCritiCare Med$79.99

Questions

Is Bedside EM free?
Bedside EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med free?
Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bedside EM or Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med?
Bedside EM is rated higher. Bedside EM averages 4.2 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Bedside EM or Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med have ads?
Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med shows ads; Bedside EM does not.
Which is updated more often, Bedside EM or Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med?
Bedside EM ships an update every 5 months, and Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med every 8 months. Most recently, Bedside EM was updated on October 28, 2026 and Visual Diagnosis Emergency Med on October 24, 2026.

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