Bates' Pocket Guide vs PEPID®
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
Read full descriptionHide 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
PEPID®
Provides healthcare professionals with essential tools for patient care, including a vast drug database, medical calculators, and visual aids. Content is regularly updated and clinically independent, offering reliable information for various medical roles.
- Largest drug database
- Medical calculators
- High-res pill photos
- Clinical illustrations
- Regularly updated information
- Independent clinical content
Read full descriptionHide full description
PEPID gives healthcare professionals all the tools they need to treat patients at the scene, en route and/or by the bedside. With just a few taps, access the largest drug database on the market, medical calculators, high-res pill photos, illustrations, and much more! -- Updated regularly, so you can be sure you have the most current information available -- Independent clinical content from 12 leading healthcare associations, including the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians and the Family Physicians Inquiries Network -- Suites available for physicians, nurses, students, residents, pharmacists, EMTs and paramedics, and more Have questions, issues or feedback? Contact us at support@pepid.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PEPID® at none against Bates' Pocket Guide's 1. PEPID® also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 304). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. PEPID® asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bates' Pocket Guide against 4.7 for PEPID®. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PEPID® has 2.9K ratings behind it against 304, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 41% of Bates' Pocket Guide's written reviews are positive against 45% of PEPID®'s.
Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 11 months, PEPID® every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Bates' Pocket Guide | PEPID® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (304 ratings) — better | 4.7 (2.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | 45.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 304 | 2.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Unbound Medicine, Inc. | PEPID, LLC |
Customer experience
Bates' Pocket Guide
PEPID®
User reviews
Bates' Pocket Guide
From 304 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Reliable reference
- 🖼️ Helpful pictures for diagnosis
- 📚 Good for quick reference
- 💡 Easy to understand and logical format
- 🎯 Useful for clinicals and easy to maneuver
Room to improve
- 💰 Overpriced app
- 🔄 Outdated software
- 🖱️ Not user-friendly navigation
- 💸 Repeated payments required
- ❌ Incorrect information/algorithms
PEPID®
From 2.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick information
- 🔒 Trustworthy content
- 👍 Useful for daily work
- 👍 Comprehensive database
- 👍 User-friendly
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes/won't open
- 🐛 Outdated/missing content
- 🐛 Poor optimization for newer devices
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 👎 Difficult to navigate
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 moreShow fewer
- 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
PEPID®
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes on login or launch
- Content fails to download
- Incompatible with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Improved search functionality
- More calculators and tools
- Automatic content updates
- Ability to use on multiple devices with single subscription
In-app purchases
Bates' Pocket Guide
- Bates' Pocket Guide 9th ed.$69.99
PEPID®
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Bates' Pocket Guide free?
Is PEPID® free?
Which has better reviews, Bates' Pocket Guide or PEPID®?
Do Bates' Pocket Guide or PEPID® have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bates' Pocket Guide or PEPID®?
Other comparisons















