# STAT!Ref vs Access

The clearest difference is rating: Access at 4.3 against STAT!Ref's 2.8. Access also leads on ratings volume (132 vs 5) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). STAT!Ref's advantage is review sentiment (36% vs 8%) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 26). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Access holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Access has 132 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of STAT!Ref's written reviews are positive against 8% of Access's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

STAT!Ref ships an update every 3 months, Access monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | STAT!Ref | Access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/statref/id474559171/reviews) | **[4.3 (132 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/access-by-mcgraw-hill/id1628840396/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **132** |
| Positive reviews | **36.4% of reviews** | 8.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 8 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 26 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Teton Data Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/474559174) | [McGraw-Hill](https://appshunter.io/developer/325792150) |

## What reviewers say

### STAT!Ref

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/statref/id474559171)

Access a vast library of evidence-based medical resources on your mobile device. Search across hundreds of titles, bookmark key information, and define medical terms instantly. Features text-to-speech and news alerts for the latest healthcare updates.

**Highlights:** Cross-searchable medical resources, Bookmark specific paragraphs, Instant medical term definitions, Text-to-Speech functionality, Evidence Alerts and news feeds, Customizable content access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/access-by-mcgraw-hill/id1628840396)

Access medical learning resources like videos, podcasts, and textbooks on the go. Search for specific topics, save content to collections, and personalize your dashboard. Offline viewing and specialty-specific content are available for subscribed institutional users.

**Highlights:** Search diverse medical resources, Save and organize content, Refine by content type, Offline viewing, Personalized dashboard, Specialty-specific content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for quick reads
- 👍 Good for reading on the go
- 👍 Allows downloading chapters
- 👍 Can favorite books/chapters/figures
- 👍 Great idea for an app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Infinite login loop
- 🐛 App broken or glitched
- 🐛 Unable to access content
- 🐛 Chapters missing (appendix, intro)
- 🐛 Cannot search all chapters

**Reported bugs**

- Infinite login loop
- App won't log in
- App broken or glitched
- Unable to access content
- Appendix and introduction absent

**Requested features**

- Option to search all chapters at once
- Improve text-to-speech functionality
- Allow text-to-speech to continue when app is in background
- Remember last read position
- Sync favorites across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is STAT!Ref free?

STAT!Ref is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Access free?

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

### Which has better reviews, STAT!Ref or Access?

Access is rated higher. STAT!Ref averages 2.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Access averages 4.3 from 132 ratings.

### Do STAT!Ref or Access have ads?

Neither STAT!Ref nor Access shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, STAT!Ref or Access?

STAT!Ref ships an update every 3 months, and Access monthly. Most recently, STAT!Ref was updated on October 1, 2026 and Access on October 16, 2026.

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