# Bates' Pocket Guide vs ASCVD Risk

The clearest difference is price: Bates' Pocket Guide at Free against ASCVD Risk's $2.99. Bates' Pocket Guide also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (302 vs 1). ASCVD Risk's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (67% vs 41%). On update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Bates' Pocket Guide is free to download; ASCVD Risk costs $2.99 up front. Bates' Pocket Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ASCVD Risk asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bates' Pocket Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 302 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 67% of ASCVD Risk's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, ASCVD Risk every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bates' Pocket Guide | ASCVD Risk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascvd-risk/id744733904/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **302** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 14 months** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 10 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [ScyMed, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/545140733) |

## 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


### ASCVD Risk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascvd-risk/id744733904)

This medical calculator helps healthcare professionals assess a patient's 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease using the latest ACC/AHA guidelines. It also computes traditional risk factors like Framingham and NCEP scores.

**Highlights:** ASCVD 10-year risk assessment, Pooled Cohort Risk Equations, Framingham Risk calculation, NCEP and Metabolic Syndrome scores, BMI and GFR computation, Part of comprehensive Medical Calculator System

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**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 ASCVD Risk free?

ASCVD Risk costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or ASCVD Risk?

Bates' Pocket Guide is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while ASCVD Risk averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bates' Pocket Guide or ASCVD Risk have ads?

Neither Bates' Pocket Guide nor ASCVD Risk shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or ASCVD Risk?

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and ASCVD Risk every 19 months. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on October 21, 2026 and ASCVD Risk on October 24, 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.*