Comparison

Sketchy Learning vs Kaplan Medical

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Visual lessons for memorization
  • Interactive patient case simulations
  • High-yield exam content
  • Quizzes and custom tests
  • Customizable playlists
  • Mobile-friendly learning
Features
Read full description

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

About

Kaplan Medical

Access thousands of exam-like practice questions for USMLE and COMLEX exams on your mobile device. Build custom quizzes, review detailed explanations with media, and track your progress with AI-powered tutoring. Stay ahead with constantly updated content and realistic test simulations.

Highlights
  • Thousands of exam-like questions
  • Customizable quizzes by topic
  • Detailed explanations with media
  • AI Tutor for instant help
  • Progress tracking
  • Realistic test interface
  • Constantly updated content
Features
Read full description

MOBILE APP FOR THE KAPLAN USMLE® STEP 1 QBANK KAPLAN USMLE® STEP 2 CK QBANK KAPLAN COMLEX® LEVEL 1 QBANK KAPLAN COMLEX® LEVEL 2-CE QBANK Take your Kaplan Medical Qbank on the go! Use this app for your trial and actively enrolled accounts: USMLE Step 1 Qbank: 3,000+ exam-like questions USMLE Step 2 CK Qbank: 3,100+ exam-like questions COMLEX Level 1 / Step 1 Qbank: 1,300 exam-like Level 1 questions and 3,000+ questions for Step 1 COMLEX LEVEL 2 QBANK: 500+ exam-like Level 2-CE questions Qbank Free Trial Products: Access to 40 exam-like questions The app automatically syncs with your desktop account - giving you: The ability to build and take quizzes by topic and organ system Detailed explanations for each question including strategic overviews and a variety of media like videos, 3D images, and diagrams Includes Kaplan’s AI Tutor: Instantly access definitions, examples, and analogies, receive resource recommendations, and follow step-by-step explanations to master high-yield content faster Tracked progress on all quizzes The latest features and the newest content Get all the practice for the USMLE and COMLEX you could ever need. -ALWAYS AT THE CUTTING EDGE We constantly update our content, images, and questions so you can stay ahead of the curve. -LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES Detailed review materials help you boost your score and keep on boosting it. -LEARN THE TEST WITH REALISTIC PRACTICE If you have signed up for our Qbank, you’ll get a test-like interface with thousands of questions. This means that you’ll get the hang of the exam before test day. -KAPLAN QBANK SUBSCRIPTIONS INCLUDE If you have already signed up for our Qbank, you can use this app to access: Thousands of exam-like USMLE Step 1, Step 2CK, and COMLEX Level 1, Level 2-CE questions (or 40 questions with a trial account) An interface that replicates the actual test Succinct answer explanations 2 full-length simulated exams Detailed progress reports -GET STRATEGIC Step-by-step strategies walk you through each question, so you can think like a physician. Review in-depth explanations and master the material

Screenshots

Sketchy Learning3 screens
Kaplan Medical4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kaplan Medical at none against Sketchy Learning's 4. Kaplan Medical also leads on ads (none vs shown). Sketchy Learning's advantage is ratings volume (832 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Sketchy Learning sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $289.99 per year. Kaplan Medical asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Sketchy Learning against 5.0 for Kaplan Medical. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sketchy Learning has 832 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sketchy Learning ships an update every 3 weeks, Kaplan Medical fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sketchy Learning versus Kaplan Medical: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSketchy LearningKaplan Medical
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (832 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings832 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.1 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB67 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSketchy Group, LLCKaplan

Customer experience

Sketchy Learning

All ratings54 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive52.8%
Neutral13.9%
Negative33.3%

Kaplan Medical

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
Show 9 more
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Make video speed and caption settings persistent across videos

Kaplan Medical

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Sketchy Learning

Subscriptions4
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Medical 12 month7 Days trial$459.991 Year
None

Kaplan Medical

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sketchy Learning free?
Sketchy Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kaplan Medical free?
Kaplan Medical is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sketchy Learning or Kaplan Medical?
Kaplan Medical is rated higher. Sketchy Learning averages 4.9 out of 5 from 832 ratings, while Kaplan Medical averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Sketchy Learning or Kaplan Medical have ads?
Sketchy Learning shows ads; Kaplan Medical does not.
Which is updated more often, Sketchy Learning or Kaplan Medical?
Sketchy Learning ships an update every 3 weeks, and Kaplan Medical fortnightly. Most recently, Sketchy Learning was updated on October 27, 2026 and Kaplan Medical on October 15, 2026.

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