Bates' Pocket Guide vs Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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*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
Connect
Test your medical knowledge with daily puzzles designed for USMLE, MDs, and medical students. Group 16 tiles into four sets based on shared medical categories. Keep your mind sharp with new challenges every 24 hours.
- Daily medical knowledge puzzles
- Group tiles by medical categories
- Designed for USMLE, MDs, and students
- Covers basic science and clinical practice
- Progressive difficulty levels
- New puzzle every 24 hours
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Put Your Medical Knowledge to the Test! Designed specifically for USMLE, MDs, and medical students, this daily puzzle is the ultimate test of Medical Knowledge. See if you can identify the deep connections between complex medical concepts. Every day, you are presented with 16 tiles featuring terms from across the Medical Sciences. Your goal: group them into four sets of four based on their shared medical categories. Key Features: Built for Professionals and Medical Students: Whether you are an MD, or a student preparing for boards, these puzzles are curated to challenge your level of expertise. Deep Knowledge Categories: Includes both Basic Science and clinical practice. Daily Refresh: A new board arrives every 24 hours to keep your mind sharp during your commute or on a well-earned break. Progressive Difficulty: Each puzzle contains categories ranging from easier to difficult. Why Play? In the fast-paced world of medicine, keeping your knowledge base broad and your lateral thinking sharp is essential. This game offers a fun way to engage with the concepts you use every day in a completely new format.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Connect at none against Bates' Pocket Guide's 1. Connect also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 14 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is ratings volume (301 vs 2) and chart position (#163 vs unranked). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.
Connect 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, Connect weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bates' Pocket Guide | Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (301 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 301 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #163 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Unbound Medicine, Inc. | Bibek Bhattarai |
Customer experience
Bates' Pocket Guide
Connect
In-app purchases
Bates' Pocket Guide
- Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99
Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Is Connect free?
Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or Connect?
Do Bates' Pocket Guide or Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or Connect?
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