Comparison

Essential Anatomy 5 vs Bullets*

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

Head to head
About

Essential Anatomy 5

Explore a comprehensive 3D atlas of the human body with over 8,200 anatomical structures. This highly accurate and visually stunning app is a leading reference tool for medical professionals and students, offering immersive learning and detailed content.

Highlights
  • 8,200+ anatomical structures
  • Male and female models
  • 11 anatomical systems
  • Fully 3D interactive models
  • Stunning graphics and immersive experience
  • Easy-to-use interface
Read full description

Essential Anatomy 5 is the most successful anatomy app of all time and has more content and features than any other anatomy app—bar none! With over 8,200 structures, our highly accurate, immersive and visually stunning app is the gold standard in medical reference applications. There's not a university or hospital around that does not use Essential Anatomy/Skeleton, resulting in 1.1 million user engagements every month. It is, by far, the worlds most used medical study and reference app. Download our FREE "Essential Skeleton" app in the free section to experience our groundbreaking 3D technology. TUAW: "Make no mistake about it: Essential Anatomy by 3D4Medical is the future of touch-based anatomy learning. Essential Anatomy is an app every doctor, physiotherapist, OT, nurse and medical student should own." -- 3D4Medical highlighted at the 2015 Apple Keynote. - - Number 1 Top Grossing Medical App in 118 countries worldwide. - - Quality and Vision: 3D4Medical has led the way in introducing innovative products of exceptional quality. We will continue to forge new paths for others to follow. - - Accurate Content: Essential Anatomy is used by anatomy professors in thousands of classrooms worldwide, including Stanford University, and has become the standard in third-level education. In many cases, our app is now mandatory with text books optional. - - Stunning Graphics: No competitor comes close. Essential Anatomy’s proprietary engine was developed and optimized to showcase our new generation anatomical models for a completely immersive user experience. - - Easy to use: Responsive and intuitive user interface, all systems and menus are easily accessed from the main screen and our model responds quickly to your touch. - - Read all the reviews of previous versions: Our visionary app has enhanced the lives of reviewers, both professionally and academically. iMedical Apps: “The 3D anatomy engine and impressive graphics bring a new clarity to anatomy education with impressive accuracy.” Compatible with iPad 2 and newer, iPhone 4S and newer, iPod Touch 5th Gen. and newer, and iOS 8 or later. IN APP PURCHASES: In-app purchases allow additional muscle and skeletal content to be downloaded and accessed from within the app. These boosts add muscle insertion and origin points, skeletal bone parts and surfaces and 100s of animations detailing movements for each articulation. Visit www.3d4medical.com and watch videos that highlight the app's functionality and quality. You’ll understand why Essential Anatomy 5 is the most successful medical reference app of all time! ESSENTIAL ANATOMY 5: Essential Anatomy 5 is a full-featured anatomical reference app that includes MALE and FEMALE models, with 11 SYSTEMS and a total of 8,200 ANATOMICAL STRUCTURES. The app is fully 3D, meaning that you can view any structure in isolation, as well as from any angle and represents the latest in groundbreaking 3D technology and innovative design. A cutting-edge custom built 3D graphics engine, delivers outstanding quality graphics that no other competitor can achieve. FEATURES OVERVIEW: --Cutting-edge 3D technology --Over 8,200 highly detailed anatomical structures --Hide/Fade/Isolate/Fade Others/Hide Others options for individual structures --Multiple Selection Mode --Pins: Create customized pins with notes and place anywhere on the 3D model --Slice: Slice through certain structures using 3D plane tool --Bookmarks: Preset and Customizable --Correct audio pronunciation and Latin nomenclature for every structure --Search via English and Latin nomenclature --Dynamic Quiz: Drag and Drop and Multi-choice --Share images via social media and e-mail --Includes anatomy for 11 systems: Skin, Skeletal, Muscles, Connective Tissue, Veins, Arteries, Nerves, Respiratory, Digestive, Urogenital, Lymphatic, also includes the Brain and Heart Feedback? Contact our customer support at info@3d4medical.com.

About

Bullets*

Access medical and orthopedic educational content, including topics, questions, and cases. Create custom exams, review scientific articles, and monitor community activity. Earn CME credits through self-assessment exams and collaborative learning.

Highlights
  • Medical and orthopedic topics
  • Customizable exams (Testmaster)
  • Article review with PDFs
  • Community activity feed
  • Earn CME credits
  • Point of Care Learning (PoCL)
Features
Read full description

The companion APP for Orthobullets.com and Medbullets.com. Bullets* contains medbullets and orthobullets Topics, Questions, Techniques, Cases, Videos, and Evidence. Our Testmaster allows you to create, take, and review customized exams. Article links allows for quick review of scientific abstracts and often the PDF is provided and can be viewed on your phone. Our "Home" screen allows you to monitor a thread of educational activity within our community. All educational activity, including the Qbank, is synced with the main platform for seamless use on both your iPhone APP and computer. You can earn CME by taking Self-Assessment Exams and contributing to our free collaboration community by posting educational comments with scientific references as part of our Point of Care Learning (PoCL) activity. All CME Study Plan examinations can be taken on the iPhone and can be found on your CME Dashboard. Residents on the PASS institutional platform can take PASS exams, complete their PASS Skillmaster learning modules, and submit both Rotation and Milestone Skill Evaluations to faculty. Faculty members using PASS Pro 2.0 can grade Rotation Evaluations and Milestone Skill Evaluations on the APP, eliminating the need to log in with each evaluation.

Screenshots

Essential Anatomy 54 screens
Bullets*4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bullets* at Free against Essential Anatomy 5's $19.99. Bullets* also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). Essential Anatomy 5's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (20K vs 61). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Bullets* is free to download; Essential Anatomy 5 costs $19.99 up front. Essential Anatomy 5 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Bullets* asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Essential Anatomy 5 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essential Anatomy 5 has 20K ratings behind it against 61, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Essential Anatomy 5's written reviews are positive against 68% of Bullets*'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Essential Anatomy 5 ships an update every 2 months, Bullets* every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Essential Anatomy 5 versus Bullets*: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEssential Anatomy 5Bullets*
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (20K ratings) — better4.0 (61 ratings)
Positive reviews80.8% of reviews — better67.6% of reviews
Number of ratings20K — better61
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#4 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size811 MB168 MB
Age rating12+17+
Developer3D4Medical from ElsevierLineageMedical Inc

Customer experience

Essential Anatomy 5

All ratings20,376 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews1,056 reviews
Positive80.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative11.6%

Bullets*

All ratings61 ratings
Positive73.8%
Neutral6.6%
Negative19.7%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral10.8%
Negative21.6%

Bugs and requests

Essential Anatomy 5

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect muscle actions or missing structures
  • Difficulty isolating or viewing specific body parts
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices or OS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more anatomical systems (e.g. ENT, cardiovascular)
  • Improve search and filtering capabilities
  • Allow custom annotations and drawings
  • Integrate with other medical apps or devices
  • Provide offline access to content

Bullets*

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Essential Anatomy 5

One-time2
  • Skeletal System Plus$4.99
  • Muscle System Plus$4.99
None

Bullets*

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Essential Anatomy 5 free?
Essential Anatomy 5 costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Bullets* free?
Bullets* is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Essential Anatomy 5 or Bullets*?
Essential Anatomy 5 is rated higher. Essential Anatomy 5 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Bullets* averages 4.0 from 61 ratings.
Do Essential Anatomy 5 or Bullets* have ads?
Neither Essential Anatomy 5 nor Bullets* shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Essential Anatomy 5 or Bullets*?
Essential Anatomy 5 ships an update every 2 months, and Bullets* every 8 days. Most recently, Essential Anatomy 5 was updated on October 18, 2026 and Bullets* on October 11, 2026.

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