Comparison

Bates' Pocket Guide vs PanceBlueprints

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

PanceBlueprints

This app helps PA students and PAs review and track their progress through medical topic lists. It offers interactive learning, a library of high-yield pearls, and trivia-style quizzes with a global leaderboard. Access content via monthly or yearly subscriptions.

Highlights
  • Interactive topic list tracking
  • High-yield medical pearls library
  • Trivia-style knowledge quizzes
  • Global PA leaderboard
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Monthly and yearly subscription options
Features
Read full description

PanceBlueprints is the app for PA students and PAs to review and track their progress through the 2026 EORs / PANCE / PANRE topic lists in a new interactive way. Check off topics learned as you progress through the topic lists, while reviewing an expanding library of high yield pearls. Challenge your knowledge with trivia-like quizzes, and earn points to climb up the global PA leaderboard. Use it on your iPhone, iPad, and/or Mac computer, simultaneously if needed. Unlock access to the app's contents through 2 choices of subscriptions: 1) Monthly, with a 1 week free trial. This allows you to try the app for 7 days before billing. You can cancel at any time prior to billing during the 7 day free trial. 2) Yearly. You can cancel your subscription to the app at any time from your Apple settings' subscriptions section. For feedbacks/questions email: panceblueprints@gmail.com Don't forget to leave a 5 star rating! Terms of Use (EULA) link: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Bates' Pocket Guide4 screens
PanceBlueprints4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PanceBlueprints at 100% against Bates' Pocket Guide's 41%. PanceBlueprints also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 14 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (301 vs 9). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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 and PanceBlueprints sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PanceBlueprints 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 9, 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 PanceBlueprints's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, PanceBlueprints fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Bates' Pocket Guide versus PanceBlueprints: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBates' Pocket GuidePanceBlueprints
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (301 ratings)5.0 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings301 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB64 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperUnbound Medicine, Inc.Fabien Paul

Customer experience

Bates' Pocket Guide

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

PanceBlueprints

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Bates' Pocket Guide

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Sectional information is wrong
  • Topics do not correlate to information
  • Asterisk information is incorrect
  • App information needs updating and reviewing
  • Software is glitchy
Show 4 more
  • Hard to navigate between topics
  • Algorithm images are mismatched with titles
  • Doesn't take Bates account
  • Didn't work (iOS 7)

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

PanceBlueprints

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bates' Pocket Guide

One-time1
  • Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99
2 purchases

PanceBlueprints

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PanceBlueprints free?
PanceBlueprints is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or PanceBlueprints?
PanceBlueprints is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 301 ratings, while PanceBlueprints averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.
Do Bates' Pocket Guide or PanceBlueprints have ads?
Neither Bates' Pocket Guide nor PanceBlueprints shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or PanceBlueprints?
Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and PanceBlueprints fortnightly. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on October 17, 2026 and PanceBlueprints on October 7, 2026.

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