Comparison

HepCalc vs Practical Reviews

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

Head to head
About

HepCalc

This medical app provides a comprehensive suite of liver-related calculators, web links, and clinical notes. It preserves entry data across calculators and allows for customization of web links and notes, making it a valuable tool for clinicians managing liver disease.

Highlights
  • Liver-related calculators
  • Preserves entry data
  • Customizable web links
  • Editable clinical notes
  • U.S. - SI units conversion
  • Integrated web references
Features
Read full description

HepCalc is a collection of liver related calculators, web links, resources, and editable web links and clinical notes. ◆ Unlike most calculators, entry data is preserved between different calculators limiting the need for reentry of data. ◆ Set your own favorite web links ◆ Save clinical notes, clinical "pearls" in a organized fashion ◆ Integrated U.S. - SI units conversion ◆ Each calculator has a related web reference A must have for the clinician/house officer dealing with liver disease. The customizable WebLinks and Clinical Notes sections alone are valuable tools for anyone. Child-Pugh Score MELD (UNOS) -survival data -TIPS recommendations MELD MELD Sodium (UNOS) MELD 3.0/Survival Alcoholic Hepatitis Calculators: - ABIC -Combined: Lille Model +(MELD, Maddrey DF, ABIC) - Glasgow - Lille Model - Lille Model Projection (using day 0 of Rx, calculates decision making for bilirubin values on day 7) - Maddrey Discriminant Function - MELD alcoholic hepatitis score ( Includes survival percentage) Autoimmune Liver Disease Calculators: -Autoimmune hepatitis Score(1999 International AIH Group Report) -Autominnune hepatitis Simplified Score -AIH/PBC overlap (Paris Criteria) -PBC Survival Mayo GLOBE UK-PBC -PSC Survival Fibrosis Calculators: - APRI Fibrosis Score - FAST (Fibroscan™ + AST) Score - FIB4 Fibrosis Score - FORNS Fibrosis Score - HALT-C Cirrhosis Score - NAFLD Fibrosis Score -SAFE Fibrosis Score (Steatosis-associated Fibrosis Estimate) Risk Assessment Calculators: Liver Decompensation - Acute decompensation without ACLF: CLIF-C AD score and mortality -Acute liver failure - transplant free survival at 21 days - Acute on Chronic Liver Failure AARC score and mortality - Acute on Chronic Liver Failure CLIF-C ACLF score and mortality - Acute on Chronic Liver Failure NACSELD 30 day mortality - BE3A Score: Hep C DAA assessment for decompensated cirrhosis - Decompensation Risk - Hep C -TAM Score: 1 yr post transplant survival for ACLF-3 patients HCC Risk Hep B - HCC Risk Hep B: CHUK - HCC Risk Hep B: REACH B - HCC Risk Hep B on Rx (entecavir, tenofovir): PAGE B HCC Risk Hep C - HCC Risk Hep C : HALT-C - HCC Risk in Chronic Liver Disease: GALAD/GALADUS Other Risks -BEA Score: Baseline event anticipation for Hepatitis Deta -Cardiovascular Risk (CAD-LT): CV risk in LT candidates - CAR-OLT: 1 yr risk of cardiovascular event post OLT -Dili Mortality Risk: 6 mos mortality risk and comorbidity burden - Fungal Infection Risk - NACSELD - RUCAM for DILI assessment - Surgical Risk Cirrhosis: post op mortality major surgery -Surgical Risk Cirrhosis: VOCAL-Penn Score Other Calculators: -ANI (differentiate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) -Ascites, refractory -estimate ascites to be gained based on serum sodium and time passed -estimate sodium intake based on serum sodium and ascites gained -Body Mass Index - Portopulmonary Hypertension Calculator: - Pulmonary Vascular Resistance Calculator -diagnostic and UNOS transplant Criteria -HCV treatment tracker (calculates dates for end of Rx and SVR) -Mean arterial pressure -Wilson's Disease: EASL scoring system WebLinks: - Hepatology Societies - Hepatology Organizations - Other Resources (i.e. Drug Hepatoxicity, Hepatitis Rx drug interactions, etc) - Custom WebLinks (make your own links for reference, frequently used, etc.) Clinical Notes: - Create a title and store clinical information, pearls, or any other text for quick ready reference in one place - Can cut and paste from other text for ease of entry of your clinical data

About

Practical Reviews

Stay current with medical advancements through concise summaries of top journal articles. Earn CME credits by reading summaries, listening to commentary, and taking quizzes. Access content offline and sync your progress across devices.

Highlights
  • Evidence-based article summaries
  • Online CME credit earning
  • Audio commentary
  • Offline access to content
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Favorite bookmarking
Read full description

Practical Reviews helps you keep up with the most significant developments reported in top medical journals. Each month, 200 clinicians scour nearly 500 journals in 23 specialties to deliver unbiased, evidence-based summaries of curated articles. Subscribers get summaries of relevant journal articles, medical advances, research and trends, and the latest treatment guidelines for chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Practical Reviews is a fast, effective way to stay on top of new medical information and earn online CME. 15 minutes is all you need to • Read the summary • Listen to commentary • Take a quiz • Earn CME credit With the Practical Reviews app you can: • Sync your account for seamless listening. Pause on desktop; resume on mobile. • All completed pre and post-tests, credits and lectures will be visible on your account in both mobile and desktop. • Claim credits straight from the app. • Easily download articles, audio, and quizzes for offline use so you can listen in your car, while working out, or anywhere else you'd like to go! • With a single touch, bookmark your favorites and listen to them later. If you have any questions about Practical Reviews or experience any technical problems while using the app, please email OakstoneService@ebix.com.

Screenshots

HepCalc4 screens
Practical Reviews4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HepCalc at 100% against Practical Reviews's 14%. HepCalc also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.0) and monetization model (free vs subscription). Practical Reviews's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HepCalc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of HepCalc's written reviews are positive against 14% of Practical Reviews's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HepCalc versus Practical Reviews: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHepCalcPractical Reviews
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (11 ratings) — better2.0 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better13.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1122 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB13 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperGary Poleynard MDOakstone Publishing, LLC

Customer experience

HepCalc

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Practical Reviews

All ratings18 ratings
Positive16.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative77.8%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive13.8%
Neutral1.7%
Negative84.5%

Bugs and requests

HepCalc

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Practical Reviews

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • App freezes frequently
  • Audio playback stops unexpectedly
  • Login credentials not recognized
  • Submit button is hidden or inaccessible
Show 11 more
  • App does not sync with CarPlay
  • Incorrect dates for issues displayed
  • App does not respond to car audio commands
  • Quiz answers are incorrect or marked as already taken
  • App is not compatible with newer iOS versions
  • App crashes after updates
  • Cannot log in to the app
  • App does not work with CME Insider
  • Cannot access older content for quizzes
  • Playback skips or resets after pausing
  • Keyboard blocks important buttons (e.g., submit, true/false)

Requested features

10 requests
  • Audio speed settings (1.5-2X)
  • Dark mode option
  • Continuous playlist for issues
  • Sign in once a day
  • Comments section for articles
Show 5 more
  • Ability to see which issues are completed for credit
  • Ability to download more than one issue at a time
  • Improve quiz functionality
  • Indicate which quiz question was wrong
  • Replay speed setting improvement

In-app purchases

None

HepCalc

No in-app purchases

None

Practical Reviews

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HepCalc free?
HepCalc is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Practical Reviews free?
Practical Reviews is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HepCalc or Practical Reviews?
HepCalc is rated higher. HepCalc averages 5.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Practical Reviews averages 2.0 from 22 ratings.
Do HepCalc or Practical Reviews have ads?
Neither HepCalc nor Practical Reviews shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HepCalc or Practical Reviews?
HepCalc ships an update every 2 months, and Practical Reviews every 2 months. Most recently, HepCalc was updated on October 23, 2026 and Practical Reviews on October 24, 2026.

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