IOL vs IOL Reference
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IOL
This medical tool assists in calculating intraocular lens power for cataract surgery. It provides essential calculations for ophthalmologists and eye care professionals.
- Intraocular lens power calculation
- Cataract surgery assistance
- Medical calculation tool
- Ophthalmology aid
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An intraocular lens power calculator for cataract surgery.
IOL Reference
This ophthalmology utility helps surgeons find FDA-approved intraocular lenses. It features a searchable database of nearly 10,000 lenses, updated with new approvals and changes. The app also serves as a social media and networking platform for eye care professionals.
- Searchable IOL database
- FDA-approved lens catalog
- Database updates
- Ophthalmology networking
- Eye care tools
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IOL Reference is a cross-platform ophthalmology utility, social media, and networking service that provides users with a wide array of eye care tools to optimize their outcomes. This unique app allows surgeons to quickly search for an FDA-approved, currently marketed intraocular lens (IOLs) that meets their needs and specifications. The database contains almost 10,000 individually cataloged lenses and will be updated to include newly FDA-approved IOLs, changes to current lenses, and corrections. This app was created by Gurpal Virdi, MD and Matt Hirabayashi, MD
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: IOL Reference at 4.7 against IOL's 3.6. IOL Reference also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 75%). IOL's advantage is iOS requirement (11.2 vs 15.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
IOL Reference holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of IOL's written reviews are positive against 89% of IOL Reference's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IOL | IOL Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (9 ratings) | 4.7 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 15 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.2 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 823 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Columbia University | Gurpal Virdi |
Customer experience
IOL
IOL Reference
In-app purchases
IOL
No in-app purchases
IOL Reference
No in-app purchases
