Critical Med vs NRMCA Protocols
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Critical Med
This comprehensive critical care reference app provides nurses, paramedics, physicians, and other healthcare professionals with detailed medical guidelines and high-definition multimedia resources. It covers a wide range of topics, including ultrasound, emergency medicine, and advanced life support, serving as a go-to tool for complex medical queries.
- High-definition multimedia resources
- Detailed medical guidelines
- Ultrasound and diagrams
- Interactive EKGs
- Medical Spanish with audio
- ABG analyzer
Read full descriptionHide full description
Critical Med is a fast, fully offline study companion and reference for critical care clinicians — nurses, paramedics, residents, and attendings. It opens in one tap with no account and no sign-in, so your study material is always ready. ACLS & RECERTIFICATION STUDY - Over 800 clinician-reviewed practice questions with the reasoning behind each answer - Timed 50-question practice exams scored against the 84% pass line - 11 megacode practice scenarios, each with a review debrief - Adaptive review that resurfaces the topics you keep missing STUDY LIBRARY & REFERENCE - Reference notes on meds commonly seen in critical care - Over 500 IV compatibility reference pairs - ICU infusion reference entries - Lab value references with typical ranges and study notes RHYTHMS & MONITORING STUDY - 30 rhythms in an interactive practice simulator to build recognition - Study guides for CBC, CMP, coagulation, and acid-base concepts - Reference material on ventilation, capnography, hemodynamics, pacemakers, and ECMO PROCEDURE & SCENARIO STUDY - Illustrated procedure study guides - 100 clinical study playbooks for less common scenarios - Pediatric and obstetric study references STUDY ANYWHERE, EVEN OFFLINE Everything works offline with no account or sign-in, plus a fresh study brief every morning. Important: Critical Med is an educational study and reference tool. It does not provide diagnosis, treatment directives, or emergency services, and it is not a substitute for professional clinical judgment or facility protocols. ACLS study content supports personal exam preparation only; it is not AHA-accredited and does not grant a certification card.
NRMCA Protocols
Access Northwest Regional Medical Control Authority protocols quickly and offline. Search titles and text, save favorites, and customize hospital contacts and notes. Stay updated with the latest protocols.
- Offline protocol access
- Indexed lookup
- Search titles and text
- Favorites tab
- Customizable hospital info
- Customizable notes
Read full descriptionHide full description
NRMCA Protocols is an app that provides quick offline access to the Northwest Regional Medical Control Authority protocols. Features include: •Quick indexed lookup of protocols in a matter of seconds •Search titles and text •Favorites tab for quick access of what's important to you •Updated shortly after new protocols are posted online making it more up-to-date than most printed protocol manuals •Customizable hospital contact information and mapping •Customizable notes for each individual protocol entry •Always with you as long as you have your device and never fades or tears
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: NRMCA Protocols at Free against Critical Med's $29.99. NRMCA Protocols also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Critical Med's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 1). On rating, 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
NRMCA Protocols is free to download; Critical Med costs $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NRMCA Protocols holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Critical Med has 1.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Critical Med ships an update fortnightly, NRMCA Protocols every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Critical Med | NRMCA Protocols |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #16 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 705 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | +17 | 17+ |
| Developer | The Barringer Group, LLC | Acid Remap LLC |
Customer experience
Critical Med
NRMCA Protocols
Bugs and requests
Critical Med
Reported bugs
4 issues- Drip rate and other tools have stopped working
- RSI rapid sequence intubation section missing
- Medication math error in the app
- Typing error in Epinephrine description
Requested features
7 requests- Add venous blood gas calculator
- Allow customization of medication doses
- Include 4-2-1 pediatric maintenance fluid
- Add blood dosages for pediatrics
- Incorporate order of general mass transfusion
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Add more medications like antidotes and antibiotics
- Include O2 tank size for Bell 206 helicopter
NRMCA Protocols
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Critical Med
No in-app purchases
NRMCA Protocols
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Critical Med free?
Is NRMCA Protocols free?
Which has better reviews, Critical Med or NRMCA Protocols?
Do Critical Med or NRMCA Protocols have ads?
Which is updated more often, Critical Med or NRMCA Protocols?
Other comparisons
