# Bates' Pocket Guide vs Proband

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Proband at 100% against Bates' Pocket Guide's 41%. Proband also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (302 vs 8). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Bates' Pocket Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 302 ratings behind it against 8, 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 100% of Proband'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, Proband every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bates' Pocket Guide | Proband |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652/reviews)** | [4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proband-pedigrees-made-simple/id829791227/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **302** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 10 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia](https://appshunter.io/developer/351401975) |

## 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


### Proband

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/proband-pedigrees-made-simple/id829791227)

Effortlessly create complex family pedigrees on your iPad. This tool uses a gesture-based interface and standard medical vocabularies to capture genetic history efficiently for counselors, geneticists, and researchers. Export diagrams in PDF and PNG formats for sharing and integration into electronic health records.

**Highlights:** Gesture-based pedigree drawing, Standard medical vocabularies (ICD-10-CM, HPO), Depicts all family relationships, PDF and PNG export, Tracks disease history, Undo/Redo functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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 Proband free?

Proband is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Bates' Pocket Guide is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Proband averages 4.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Bates' Pocket Guide or Proband have ads?

Neither Bates' Pocket Guide nor Proband shows ads.

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

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and Proband every 2 months. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on October 21, 2026 and Proband 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.*