Comparison

NephroCalc™ vs NephRef

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

NephroCalc™

This medical calculator app provides over 100 essential formulas and equations for assessing patients with kidney disease and acid-base disorders. It features innovative Master panels for combined calculations and a physician-friendly interface for efficient patient data management.

Highlights
  • Over 100 renal and acid-base equations
  • Innovative MultiCalx™ Master panels
  • Customizable mCalx™ DARK calculator
  • Physician-friendly intuitive interface
  • Automatic unit conversion
  • Color-coded normal-abnormal outputs
  • Fully referenced clinical data
Features
Read full description

The NephroCalc™ App includes most formulas and equations used in the daily assessments of patients with kidney disease. It incorporates more than 100 equations and innovative MultiCalx™ Master panels for combined calculations, assuring convenience and accuracy. Introducing the mCalx™ DARK: the unique and most innovative custom Master Medical Calculator for patient-specific computations. (You add equations & scores ad lib to the same panel!). mCalx™: 1 panel, 100+ equations/scores, TRILLIONS of combinations. NephroCalc™ facilitates the organization and processing of Patient's data. It is a physician-friendly™ app, intuitive and very easy to use. Unique reference, productivity and decision support tool. Proven and reliable data processing, for physicians, residents, med students, PAs and NPs... Developed by Board-certified physicians. **See also MediCalc® ai, Medical Calculator System™, >500 algorithms. -------------------------------------------- NephroCalc™ CONTENTS: mCalx™ Master Calculator Renal Calc™ Master Diabetic Ketoacidosis Master Renal Failure Diff. Diagnosis Master Anion Gap Master Osmolality Master GFR Master Glomerular Filtration Rate (Cockcroft) Creatinine, calculated (Cockcroft) (reverse) Glomerular Filtration Rate (MDRD-4, MDRD-6, CKD-EPI) GFR EPI creatinine, GFR EPI cystatin C, GFR EPI cr-cys CKD Master Chronic Kidney Disease Classification Albumin:Creatinine Ratio Protein:Creatinine Ratio Anion Gap (Serum) Fractional Excretion of Na+ Fractional Excretion of Urea TransTubular Potassium Gradient Body Mass Index Overweight & Obesity Classification Renal Failure (Diagnostic Indices) Target Creatinine for GFR Creatinine Clearance Anion Gap (Serum) Delta Delta Anion Gap (Urinary) Bicarbonate Deficit Chloride Deficit Henderson - Hasselbalch Equation Acid base Equation Metabolic Acidosis "Winter's formula" Metabolic Alkalosis Respiratory Acidosis, acute & chronic Respiratory Alkalosis, acute & chronic Required Sodium Sodium Correction by serum glucose Potassium / pH Correction Body Water Master Osmolar Gap Osmolality, calculated Blood Alcohol Level Fractional Excretions (K+, Mg, HCO3, PO4) Renal Failure Index Basal Energy Expenditure Conversion and many more... -------------------------------------------- The NephroCalc™ FEATURES: (the best and proven clinical data processing) * arithmetical processing * automatic unit conversion * multiple-unit entries * color-coded normal-abnormal outputs * normal values (ranges & limits) * automatic range-checks (limits) * intuitive user interface * easy navigation and info access * Search bar with filters * smart decimal rounding * Système International notation * tables of parameters * mobile & online * expanded equation views * fully referenced * highly organized and standardized -------------------------------------------- NephroCalc™ is part of ScyMed® MediCalc®, the first and most comprehensive Medical Calculator System™ in the world, online for more than 25 years... NephroCalc™ is also available in spanish as NefroCalc™. Other Medical Apps developed by ScyMed include MediCalc®, LiverCalc™, EKG-card™, eH&P™, Synt™, etc. (mobile, cloud, EMR).

About

NephRef

This medical reference tool aids physicians and advanced practitioners in managing patients with kidney disease. It provides quick access to educational resources and guidance on patient referral, urgency, and interval management.

Highlights
  • Kidney disease patient care guidance
  • Referral management
  • Urgency assessment
  • Interval management
  • Educational resources access
Features
Read full description

NephRef is both a reference and referral tool designed to educate and empower physicians and advanced practitioners in their care and referral of patients with kidney disease. Conceived and developed by the Section of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine, NephRef offers a quick and easy link to educational resources and provides information about urgency and interval management of patients referred for specialty consultation. NephRef is an educational tool only. Not for individual patient diagnosis or treatment.

Screenshots

NephroCalc™4 screens
NephRef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NephRef at Free against NephroCalc™'s $3.99. NephRef also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

NephRef is free to download; NephroCalc™ costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for NephroCalc™ against 5.0 for NephRef. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NephroCalc™ ships an update every 10 months, NephRef every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
NephroCalc™ versus NephRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNephroCalc™NephRef
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB44 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperScyMed, IncMedia Foundations LLC

Customer experience

NephroCalc™

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NephRef

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

NephroCalc™

No in-app purchases

None

NephRef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NephroCalc™ free?
NephroCalc™ costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NephRef free?
NephRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NephroCalc™ or NephRef?
NephroCalc™ and NephRef are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do NephroCalc™ or NephRef have ads?
Neither NephroCalc™ nor NephRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NephroCalc™ or NephRef?
NephroCalc™ ships an update every 10 months, and NephRef every 10 days. Most recently, NephroCalc™ was updated on October 7, 2026 and NephRef on September 18, 2026.

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