# PatientNow Essentials vs Riviera OS

The clearest difference is update cadence: Riviera OS at every 9 days against PatientNow Essentials's every 7 months. PatientNow Essentials's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

PatientNow Essentials ships an update every 7 months, Riviera OS every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PatientNow Essentials | Riviera OS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Size | 45 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patient Now Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1469085301) | [Run Riviera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886300110) |

## What reviewers say

### PatientNow Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patientnow-essentials/id6475698078)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Riviera OS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riviera-os/id6760799514)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PatientNow Essentials free?

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

### Is Riviera OS free?

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

### Do PatientNow Essentials or Riviera OS have ads?

Neither PatientNow Essentials nor Riviera OS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PatientNow Essentials or Riviera OS?

PatientNow Essentials ships an update every 7 months, and Riviera OS every 9 days. Most recently, PatientNow Essentials was updated on October 27, 2026 and Riviera OS on October 31, 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.*