Comparison

Bates' Pocket Guide vs Rogers Dictionary

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
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

Rogers Dictionary

This app offers accurate English-Spanish medical translations based on a renowned print dictionary. It includes over 16,000 terms, pronunciation audio, and dialogue examples for various medical scenarios. Ideal for students, professionals, and translators needing precise medical terminology.

Highlights
  • 16,000+ medical terms
  • English-Spanish translations
  • Audio pronunciation clips
  • Extensive dialogue section
  • Bookmark saved terms
  • Covers recent medical terms
Features
Read full description

Rogers Dictionary provides the most accurate medical translations available! It is based on Dr. Rogers' physical print bilingual medical dictionary, which was first published in 1991, has gone through 4 editions, and is considered an authority on English and Spanish medical terminology translation. Core Features: - Translations for over 16,000 terms - Bookmarks so you can save terms to study later - Extensive Dialogue section covering a typical H&P and conversation related to nursing, pediatrics, dentistry, radiology, vaccination, and end-of-life The Dictionary Covers: - Any medical term likely to occur in a conversation between a health professional and a patient - Technical terms sometimes used with patients (e.g., viral load, axillary lymph node status, glycemic index) - Recently popularized terms (e.g., super-spreader, vaccine hesitancy, social distancing) - The generic names for over 700 medications - Phrases (e.g., short of breath, to grow out of, to run out) - Terms which are not strictly medical but occur frequently in conversations with patients (e.g., safe, probably, copay, room, to recommend, to be due for) - And more! Translations Include: - Parts of speech and irregular inflections - Audio clips demonstrating proper pronunciation - Regionalisms and slang - Example phrases and editorial comments Content has been vetted by: - Consultation over the years with 30 physicians from 17 different countries and a bilingual linguist - Frequency analyses on large databases, both technical and lay, broken down by region - Feedback over 30 years on the past 4 print editions of the dictionary Rogers Dictionary and all of its translations are completely free! The app does include ads that we use to recoup development and operations costs. Beginners will use the app for vocabulary building and can profit from the extensive Dialogue section. More advanced speakers can use the app on the fly to find the right term needed to get a point across. Professional translators and interpreters will find the app sufficiently rigorous for the most demanding setting, whether for a government document or in the ICU. High praise from a medical Spanish professional: “This bilingual medical dictionary is the most comprehensive and extensive I have encountered in my 40 years of teaching and authoring Medical Spanish textbooks. It incorporates all the latest terms, and all possible translations for each term, as well as variations from country to country. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would enthusiastically give it an 11!” —Joanna Ríos, PhD

Screenshots

Bates' Pocket Guide4 screens
Rogers Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rogers Dictionary at 100% against Bates' Pocket Guide's 41%. Rogers Dictionary also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (301 vs 12). On price, 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. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Rogers Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rogers Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 301 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of Rogers Dictionary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, Rogers Dictionary every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Bates' Pocket Guide versus Rogers Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBates' Pocket GuideRogers Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (301 ratings)5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings301 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 12 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB53 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperUnbound Medicine, Inc.Casey Rogers

Customer experience

Bates' Pocket Guide

All ratings301 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral13.6%
Negative45.5%

Rogers Dictionary

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bates' Pocket Guide

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

Rogers Dictionary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rogers Dictionary free?
Rogers Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or Rogers Dictionary?
Rogers Dictionary is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 301 ratings, while Rogers Dictionary averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.
Do Bates' Pocket Guide or Rogers Dictionary have ads?
Rogers Dictionary shows ads; Bates' Pocket Guide does not.
Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or Rogers Dictionary?
Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and Rogers Dictionary every 12 months. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on September 28, 2026 and Rogers Dictionary on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons