# Surgical Notes vs DocBuddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Surgical Notes at 43% against DocBuddy's 0%. Surgical Notes also leads on ratings volume (37 vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.6). DocBuddy's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

DocBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Surgical Notes's written reviews are positive against 0% of DocBuddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Surgical Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, DocBuddy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 21, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surgical Notes | DocBuddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-notes/id666491850/reviews) | **[4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/docbuddy/id1041519846/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **42.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 36 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Surgical Notes, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/666491853) | [Doc Buddy Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/990301302) |

## What reviewers say

### Surgical Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-notes/id666491850)

This app streamlines surgical documentation for healthcare professionals. It allows for wireless digital dictation, real-time report management, and effortless coding, enhancing productivity and patient care. Seamlessly integrates with existing workflows for efficient RCM solutions.

**Highlights:** Wireless digital dictation, Real-time report management, Effortless coding, Streamlined transcription turnaround, User-centered design, Push notification reminders

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### DocBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/docbuddy/id1041519846)

Effortlessly manage and access your medical records with this intuitive application. It acts as a personal assistant, streamlining documentation and retrieval of health information.

**Highlights:** Medical record documentation, Easy access to health information, Personal assistant functionality, Streamlined record management, Intuitive user interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surgical Notes free?

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

### Is DocBuddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Surgical Notes or DocBuddy?

DocBuddy is rated higher. Surgical Notes averages 3.7 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while DocBuddy averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

### Do Surgical Notes or DocBuddy have ads?

Neither Surgical Notes nor DocBuddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surgical Notes or DocBuddy?

Surgical Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and DocBuddy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Surgical Notes was updated on August 21, 2026 and DocBuddy on September 16, 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.*