# Surgical Notes vs ExamWorks

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ExamWorks at 90% against Surgical Notes's 43%. ExamWorks also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.7). Surgical Notes's advantage is ratings volume (37 vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 15.0). 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.

ExamWorks holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Surgical Notes's written reviews are positive against 90% of ExamWorks's.

Surgical Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, ExamWorks every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 21, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surgical Notes | ExamWorks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-notes/id666491850/reviews) | **[4.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/examworks/id1437126109/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 36 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Surgical Notes, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/666491853) | [ExamWorks, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1413723117) |

## 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


### ExamWorks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/examworks/id1437126109)

A secure HIPAA-compliant application designed for IME physician consultants. It allows users to efficiently manage cases, track important documents, and monitor payments.

**Highlights:** HIPAA-compliant security, Case tracking, Document management, Payment monitoring, IME physician consultant tools

**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 ExamWorks free?

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

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

ExamWorks is rated higher. Surgical Notes averages 3.7 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while ExamWorks averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.

### Do Surgical Notes or ExamWorks have ads?

Neither Surgical Notes nor ExamWorks shows ads.

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

Surgical Notes ships an update every 5 weeks, and ExamWorks every 2 months. Most recently, Surgical Notes was updated on August 21, 2026 and ExamWorks on September 15, 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.*