Sketchy Learning vs StepwiseMD
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sketchy Learning
This app transforms complex medical subjects into memorable visual lessons and interactive patient scenarios. It's designed to help students learn faster, master exams, and build clinical confidence. Engage with high-yield content and practice real-world reasoning.
- Visual lessons for memorization
- Interactive patient case simulations
- High-yield exam content
- Quizzes and custom tests
- Customizable playlists
- Mobile-friendly learning
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Sketchy turns tough medical content into unforgettable visual lessons and interactive patient cases, so you learn faster, ace exams, and feel ready in the clinic. Built for how medical, PA, NP, and premed students actually learn, Sketchy helps you make sense of high-yield topics fast and recall them when it counts. Watch engaging visual lessons that lock in tough topics like pharm, micro, path, and more. Apply what you’ve learned to a clinical scenario with interactive patient cases that build real clinical reasoning skills. Whether you are squeezing in a quick review between classes or deep in exam and board prep, Sketchy goes where you go and helps concepts stick for the long haul. What you’ll love about Sketchy: * Unforgettable visual lessons that make hard concepts easy to remember * Interactive symbol explorer for quick visual lesson review * Interactive patient case sims to practice thinking like a clinician * High-yield content for exams, boards, and clinical rotations * Quizzes and custom tests that reinforce memory and reveal weak spots * Customizable playlists to organize lessons and cases your way * Mobile-friendly learning for quick reviews or deep dives Loved by over half a million students and created by expert clinicians, Sketchy helps learners feel more confident in class, on rotations, and on exam day. Terms: https://www.sketchy.com/terms Privacy: https://www.sketchy.com/privacy
StepwiseMD
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StepwiseMD brings together the reference material and study tools that medical students actually need — without the clutter. The question bank covers core clinical topics with detailed answer explanations, not just a right/wrong verdict. The drug reference pulls from structured databases so you can look up monographs, dosing, and interactions without switching apps. Lectures are organized by subject so you can go deep on a topic rather than bouncing around. Flashcards handle the memorization work. Notes and highlights let you annotate as you go. Everything is in one place, requires a login, and syncs to your account. No ads, no freemium tricks. Content is for educational and reference purposes only — not a substitute for clinical judgment.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StepwiseMD at none against Sketchy Learning's 4. StepwiseMD also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Sketchy Learning sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $289.99 per year. StepwiseMD asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sketchy Learning ships an update every 3 weeks, StepwiseMD every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sketchy Learning | StepwiseMD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (32 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 32 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Sketchy Group, LLC | Muhammad Saim Hassan |
Bugs and requests
Sketchy Learning
Reported bugs
14 issues- Video stops playing and closes in landscape orientation
- Keyboard covers submit button when giving feedback on mobile app
- Closed captioning settings do not save
- App crashes when videos are full-screened and phone is turned sideways
- App crashes frequently
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- App becomes laggy and unusable after an update
- Video controls (pause, rewind) do not work after update
- Videos randomly stop playing without explanation
- Videos always crash on iPhone X
- Videos close by themselves on iOS
- Can't watch videos horizontally
- New layout makes symbols tiny and difficult to view
- Can't scroll on the side panel to see other videos in a course subsection
- Full screen symbol mode forces device orientation switch
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to create customized tests in the app
- Save closed captioning settings
- Improve zoom and pan functionality in landscape mode
- Bring back bookmarking feature
- Allow scrolling on the side panel within video courses
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- Make video speed and caption settings persistent across videos
StepwiseMD
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Sketchy Learning
- Sketchy NP 12 month7 Days trial$289.991 Year
- MCAT Science Review 12 month7 Days trial$399.991 Year
- Sketchy PA 12 month7 Days trial$399.991 Year
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- Medical 12 month7 Days trial$459.991 Year
StepwiseMD
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sketchy Learning free?
Is StepwiseMD free?
Do Sketchy Learning or StepwiseMD have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sketchy Learning or StepwiseMD?
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