Comparison

Bates' Pocket Guide vs Eko Academy

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

Head to head
About

Bates' Pocket Guide

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
Currently charting
Read full description

*Featuring the latest content from the latest edition* ABOUT THE BATES' GUIDE: The Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking contains the critical information needed to obtain a meaningful health history, conduct a thorough physical exam, and interpret the findings quickly and accurately. Locate answers fast and review step-by-step techniques and possible findings using the distinctive two-column format with updated images. Bates’ Pocket Guide to Physical Examination and History Taking is the ideal quick-reference resource for today’s medical, PA, pharmacy, and nursing students. FEATURES: • Over 130 detailed topics with step-by-step instructions • Updated photographs, illustrations, and references reinforce key content based on the latest evidence-based information • Two-column layout optimized for smartphones and tablets • New Algorithms provide helpful starting approaches for patients with common presenting symptoms. • Differential diagnoses for common, normal, and abnormal findings • Highlight and take notes within any entry • Advanced Search helps find topics quickly • “Favorites” for bookmarking important entries Authors: Lynn S. Bickley MD, FACP, Peter G. Szilagyi MD, MPH, Richard M. Hoffman MD, MPH, FACP, Rainier P. Soriano MD Publisher: Wolters Kluwer | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Powered by: Unbound Medicine Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement

About

Eko Academy

Enhance your stethoscope skills with this comprehensive learning app. Access detailed information on cardiac anatomy, auscultation, ECGs, and various heart and lung sounds. Study offline and improve your diagnostic confidence.

Highlights
  • Stethoscope skills training
  • Cardiac anatomy and auscultation
  • ECG and phonocardiogram learning
  • Heart and lung sound analysis
  • Offline study mode
  • High-fidelity audio recordings
Features
Read full description

Strengthen your stethoscope skills, anytime, anywhere. Improve your screening confidence in the classroom and the clinic with the Eko Academy app. Eko Academy provides insight into cardiac anatomy, auscultation basics, electrocardiograms, phonocardiograms, lung sounds, and abnormal heart including systolic, diastolic, and continuous murmurs as well as arrhythmias. This body of educational work is maintained by Eko Health’s clinical team, including Dr. John Chorba, Dr. Joanna Kmiecik, and Dr. Karissa LeClair. Whether you’re a medical student, intern, resident, fellow, attending, doctor, nurse, PA, EMT, or anyone who wants to learn — Eko Academy is available to you, for free. Learn using high-quality medical illustrations, hear high-fidelity heart and lung recordings, and instantly compare diseased signals with normal signals — both visually and through audio. Keep learning even when you’re offline. Bookmark and download your favorite content to study without an internet connection (or when you’re in the depths of your school’s library). With the Eko Academy app, you can learn about: - Stethoscope Basics: Stethoscope Components, Stethoscope Usage - Cardiac Basics: Cardiac Anatomy, Cardiac Auscultation, Phonocardiograms, Abnormal Heart Sounds, Electrocardiograms - Cardiac Cycle: Sinus Node and P wave, Ventricular Depolarization and Contraction, Ventricular Emptying, Ventricular Relaxation and Repolarization, Quiescence and Passive Ventricular Filling - Systolic Murmurs: Systolic Murmurs Summary, Aortic Stenosis, Mitral Regurgitation - Diastolic Murmurs: Diastolic Murmurs Summary, Mitral Stenosis, Aortic Regurgitation - Continuous Murmurs: Continuous Murmurs Summary, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Ventricular Septal Defect - Arrhythmia: Arrhythmia Summary, Atrial Fibrillation - Pulmonary Basics: Pulmonary Anatomy, Gas exchange - Lung Sounds: Fine and Coarse Crackles, Wheeze, Stridor, Rhonchi Eko Health is a leading digital health company advancing how healthcare professionals detect and monitor heart and lung disease with its portfolio of digital stethoscopes, patient and provider software, and AI-powered analysis. Its FDA-cleared platform is used by hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide, allowing them to detect earlier and with higher accuracy, diagnose with more confidence, manage treatment effectively, and ultimately give their patients the best care possible. For more information visit www.ekohealth.com. DISCLAIMER: THIS APP DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE OR IS AN ATTEMPT TO PRACTICE MEDICINE The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this app are for informational purposes only. No material on this app is intended to be a substitute for professional medical education, advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Screenshots

Bates' Pocket Guide4 screens
Eko Academy4 screens

Verdict

The call

Bates' Pocket Guide and Eko Academy both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of Eko Academy's written reviews are positive against 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's. Eko Academy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 14 months). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is chart position (#198 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bates' Pocket Guide against 4.9 for Eko Academy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 300 and 940 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 88% of Eko Academy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, Eko Academy weekly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Bates' Pocket Guide versus Eko Academy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBates' Pocket GuideEko Academy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (300 ratings)4.9 (940 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.9% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings300940 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#198 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB69 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperUnbound Medicine, Inc.Eko Health, Inc.

Customer experience

Bates' Pocket Guide

All ratings300 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral13.6%
Negative45.5%

Eko Academy

All ratings940 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Bates' Pocket Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Eko Academy

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Service assistant doesn't know about CME points

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add more heart sounds
  • Offer paid modules or features

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bates' Pocket Guide

One-time1
  • Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99
None

Eko Academy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Eko Academy free?
Eko Academy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or Eko Academy?
Eko Academy is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 300 ratings, while Eko Academy averages 4.9 from 940 ratings.
Do Bates' Pocket Guide or Eko Academy have ads?
Neither Bates' Pocket Guide nor Eko Academy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or Eko Academy?
Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and Eko Academy weekly. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on September 23, 2026 and Eko Academy on September 23, 2026.

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