Comparison

Bedside EM vs QuickEM

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

QuickEM

This emergency medicine reference app provides clinicians with instant access to critical information, including differentials, treatments, and validated medical calculators. It's designed for rapid lookup of ED-specific care, organized by chief complaints and clinical categories, and works completely offline.

Highlights
  • 80+ chief complaint topics
  • 90+ medical calculators
  • Offline access
  • No login or ads
  • Adult and pediatric coverage
  • Evidence-based content
  • Customizable favorites
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Essential Emergency Medicine Reference Trusted by Clinicians QuickEM is the comprehensive bedside companion designed by emergency physicians for emergency physicians. Whether you're a medical student on your first ED rotation or an attending managing a busy department, QuickEM delivers the critical information you need—instantly. Built for Real Emergency Medicine • Over 80 chief complaint topics with differentials, history, tests, and treatments focused on ED-specific care • Over 90 validated medical calculators / tools • No login required • Zero fluff—only ED-relevant information Organized by How You Think • Chief complaints structured by presentation • Calculators grouped by clinical category • Smart search finds tools • Customizable favorites list for your go-to references Trusted by Every Level • Medical Students: Essential differentials and workup basics • Residents: Quick access to decision rules and scoring systems • Attendings: Rapid reference for less common presentations and 2nd brain refreshers Key Features: • Complete offline access—works without internet • No ads, no subscriptions, no account required • Covers adult and pediatric emergency medicine • Includes trauma protocols and resuscitation guides • Evidence-based content with source citations • Professional medical illustrations and ECG examples Content Highlights: • Cardiovascular: HEART Score, CHADS2-VASc, Wells Criteria • Neurological: NIHSS, Canadian Head CT Rules, HINTS Exam • Trauma: NEXUS, Canadian C-Spine, PECARN • Pediatrics: PEDS Vitals, Croup Score, Bronchiolitis • Toxicology: Rumack-Matthew, CIWA-Ar, Anion Gap • And more! Developed by practicing emergency physicians who understand what you need at 3 AM with multiple critical patients. QuickEM is designed to be the fastest way to look up the info you need. This app is designed exclusively for medical professionals and students. Not intended for patient or public use.

Screenshots

Bedside EM4 screens
QuickEM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bedside EM at Free against QuickEM's $9.99. Bedside EM also leads on ratings volume (60 vs 10). QuickEM's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On review sentiment, 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; QuickEM costs $9.99 up front. Bedside EM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and QuickEM 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

QuickEM holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bedside EM has 60 ratings behind it against 10, 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 91% of QuickEM's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bedside EM ships an update every 5 months, QuickEM every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Bedside EM versus QuickEM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBedside EMQuickEM
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating4.2 (60 ratings)4.6 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.9% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings60 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
Best chart rank—#52 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.415.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB78 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDark Medical Apps LLCDirkes Medical, PLLC

Customer experience

Bedside EM

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

QuickEM

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative0.0%

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

QuickEM

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

QuickEM

One-time1
  • Premium Features$2.99

Questions

Is Bedside EM free?
Bedside EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is QuickEM free?
QuickEM costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bedside EM or QuickEM?
QuickEM is rated higher. Bedside EM averages 4.2 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while QuickEM averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.
Do Bedside EM or QuickEM have ads?
Neither Bedside EM nor QuickEM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bedside EM or QuickEM?
Bedside EM ships an update every 5 months, and QuickEM every 2 months. Most recently, Bedside EM was updated on October 14, 2026 and QuickEM on October 8, 2026.

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