Comparison

LabRef vs Critical Care Vault

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LabRef

This medical reference app provides concise interpretations and reference ranges for common laboratory values across various disciplines. It's designed for quick access at the bedside, aiding in clinical decision-making. The app is for educational and informational purposes only.

Highlights
  • Interprets common laboratory values
  • Covers hematology, nephrology, critical care, and perioperative medicine
  • Provides concise interpretations
  • Includes reference ranges
  • Clean, intuitive interface
  • Optimized for bedside use
Features
Read full description

LabRef is a clinically focused reference for interpreting common laboratory values. Covering disciplines from hematology and nephrology to critical care and perioperative medicine, it delivers concise interpretations and reference ranges through a clean, intuitive interface optimized for rapid use at the bedside. This app is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, and never disregard or delay seeking professional advice because of information provided by this app. About Rishi Kumar, MD, FACC ("RK.MD") I'm an adult cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and cardiovascular ICU intensivist practicing in academic medicine. I'm passionate about teaching with free, open-access medical education. Learn more on my site: https://rk.md

About

Critical Care Vault

This app offers interactive training and a bedside reference for critical care professionals. It features a question bank, simulations, and trainers for reasoning practice, alongside quick access to clinical tools, protocols, and medication information.

Highlights
  • Interactive clinical question bank
  • Bedside case simulations
  • Hemodynamics and EKG trainers
  • Study modules with progress tracking
  • ICU calculators and scores
  • Protocol and device quick reference
  • Offline-first functionality
Features
Read full description

Critical care rewards the clinician who can reason fast: read the numbers, see the pattern, choose the next move. Critical Care Vault is built to train that, not just test recall. It pairs interactive reasoning practice with a bedside reference so you can sharpen your thinking on a slow afternoon and look something up between cases on a busy one. Built from bedside critical-care experience for the whole ICU team: nurses, NPs, PAs, residents, fellows, RTs, pharmacists finding their footing, and intensivists keeping pattern recognition sharp. Guest mode includes a limited preview of selected tools and training content. Create a free account to unlock the full app. No ads. No subscription. TRAIN THE REASONING • Question Bank — 850+ clinical questions across cardiac, pulmonary, neuro, renal, hematology/immunology, endocrine/metabolic, GI, multisystem, professional/ethical, and device topics, written to mirror real ICU decision points. Every question is cited; newer sets break down why the right answer is right, why each wrong one is wrong, and the pearl that ties it together. Spaced review brings back what you miss. • Bedside Simulation — Run a simulated ICU case on a monitor, ventilator, pacer, or Swan: make a call, watch the modeled physiology respond, then debrief what actually helped. Shock, low-flow states, bradycardia and pacing, and ventilator management. • Hemodynamics Trainer — Six progressive modes that turn pressure, volume, and resistance into reflex-level pattern recognition. Read the shock state from the profile, predict the response to an intervention, and work a deteriorating case step by step. • EKG Trainer — Conduction anatomy, 12-lead territory mapping, a clean rhythm library, and timed self-assessment. Sinus tach through VT, AV blocks, axis, and lead-by-lead infarct localization. • Study Modules — One ICU topic at a time, concepts first, then check yourself: Vasopressors, Ventilator, ABG, Labs, Fluids, Hemodynamics, and Pharmacology. Progress is tracked on each. KEEP THE REFERENCE CLOSE • Clinical Tools — ICU calculators and scores, including MAP, CI, SVR, P/F ratio, anion gap, IBW, free water deficit, Fick CO, drip rate, and more. • Protocols & Device Guides — Quick-access reference for shock, sepsis, ARDS, neuro, and surgical care, plus equipment-focused guides for ventilators, oxygen devices, pacers, PA waveforms, and CRRT. • Medications — A dedicated ICU drug reference with case-based scenarios that put pharmacology into real decisions. • Unified Search — One bar across questions, glossary, abbreviations, medications, and reference cards. Guest search respects preview limits; account mode unlocks full search coverage. BUILT FOR THE UNIT • Offline-first — bundled content available to your current access level works offline after setup. • Optional cloud sync — carry your history and progress across devices. • Dark, monitor-style interface with a light mode for shared screens. • No ads, no subscription, and no advertising tracking. INTENDED USE Critical Care Vault is an educational training and reference tool for trained healthcare professionals. It is not a medical device, does not provide patient-specific diagnostic or treatment recommendations, and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, institutional protocols, or provider orders.

Screenshots

LabRef4 screens
Critical Care Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LabRef at 100% against Critical Care Vault's 67%. LabRef also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Critical Care Vault's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LabRef holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of LabRef's written reviews are positive against 67% of Critical Care Vault's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LabRef ships an update every 5 weeks, Critical Care Vault every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
LabRef versus Critical Care Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLabRefCritical Care Vault
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (25 ratings) — better4.8 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings25 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS2615.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB20 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperRishi KumarJosue Edmond

Customer experience

LabRef

All ratings25 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Critical Care Vault

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

LabRef

No in-app purchases

None

Critical Care Vault

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LabRef free?
LabRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Critical Care Vault free?
Critical Care Vault is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LabRef or Critical Care Vault?
LabRef is rated higher. LabRef averages 5.0 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Critical Care Vault averages 4.8 from 13 ratings.
Do LabRef or Critical Care Vault have ads?
Neither LabRef nor Critical Care Vault shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LabRef or Critical Care Vault?
LabRef ships an update every 5 weeks, and Critical Care Vault every 4 days. Most recently, LabRef was updated on November 5, 2026 and Critical Care Vault on October 31, 2026.

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