# Bates' Pocket Guide vs MSD Manual Consumer

Bates' Pocket Guide and MSD Manual Consumer both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of MSD Manual Consumer's written reviews are positive against 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's. MSD Manual Consumer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is ratings volume (301 vs 42). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MSD Manual Consumer asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bates' Pocket Guide against 4.9 for MSD Manual Consumer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 301 ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of MSD Manual Consumer's.

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, MSD Manual Consumer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bates' Pocket Guide | MSD Manual Consumer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (301 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652/reviews) | **[4.9 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msd-manual-consumer/id1124035048/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **301** | 42 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 205 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/718617686) |

## What reviewers say

### Bates' Pocket Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652)

This app provides essential information for obtaining health histories and conducting physical exams. It features step-by-step techniques, updated images, and differential diagnoses for quick and accurate interpretation of findings. Ideal for students and professionals needing a fast reference.

**Highlights:** Over 130 detailed topics, Step-by-step instructions, Updated photographs and illustrations, Two-column layout, New Algorithms for symptom approaches, Differential diagnoses, Highlighting and note-taking, Advanced search

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed. | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Reliable reference
- 🖼️ Helpful pictures for diagnosis
- 📚 Good for quick reference
- 💡 Easy to understand and logical format
- 🎯 Useful for clinicals and easy to maneuver

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced app
- 🔄 Outdated software
- 🖱️ Not user-friendly navigation
- 💸 Repeated payments required
- ❌ Incorrect information/algorithms

**Reported bugs**

- Sectional information is wrong
- Topics do not correlate to information
- Asterisk information is incorrect
- App information needs updating and reviewing
- Software is glitchy

**Requested features**

- Update and review app information for accuracy
- Improve content layout and navigation
- Offer better preview options before purchase
- Provide discounts for existing textbook/resource owners
- Clarify product offerings to avoid buyer confusion


### MSD Manual Consumer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/msd-manual-consumer/id1124035048)

Access clear, practical explanations for thousands of medical disorders, symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments in everyday language. This app provides expert-written health information, including photos, illustrations, and animations, for on-the-go reference.

**Highlights:** Medical information in everyday language, Explanations of disorders, symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, Photos and illustrations, Animations of diseases and treatments, Interactive quizzes, Medical news and commentary

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?

Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MSD Manual Consumer free?

MSD Manual Consumer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or MSD Manual Consumer?

MSD Manual Consumer is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 301 ratings, while MSD Manual Consumer averages 4.9 from 42 ratings.

### Do Bates' Pocket Guide or MSD Manual Consumer have ads?

Neither Bates' Pocket Guide nor MSD Manual Consumer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or MSD Manual Consumer?

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and MSD Manual Consumer every 2 months. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on October 17, 2026 and MSD Manual Consumer on October 16, 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.*