# Bates' Pocket Guide vs boostEM

The clearest difference is review sentiment: boostEM at 100% against Bates' Pocket Guide's 41%. boostEM also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 14 months). Bates' Pocket Guide's advantage is ratings volume (300 vs 9) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Bates' Pocket Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bates' Pocket Guide has 300 ratings behind it against 9, 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 boostEM'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, boostEM every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bates' Pocket Guide | boostEM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (300 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652/reviews)** | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boostem/id991962466/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **300** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#198** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **7.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [Dirkes Medical, PLLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1668683062) |

## What reviewers say

### Bates' Pocket Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bates-pocket-guide/id650795652)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

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 |


### boostEM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boostem/id991962466)

A medical calculator for emergency physicians, offering over 60 clinical decision rules and rapid medication doses. Includes tools like a pupillometer and visual acuity chart, functioning offline without ads.

**Highlights:** 60+ clinical decision rule calculators, Rapid medication doses, Pupillometer, Estimated gestational age calculator, Visual acuity chart, Offline functionality

**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 boostEM free?

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

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

Bates' Pocket Guide is rated higher. Bates' Pocket Guide averages 4.8 out of 5 from 300 ratings, while boostEM averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

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

Neither Bates' Pocket Guide nor boostEM shows ads.

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

Bates' Pocket Guide ships an update every 14 months, and boostEM every 3 weeks. Most recently, Bates' Pocket Guide was updated on September 23, 2026 and boostEM on June 6, 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.*