Comparison

Board Buddy USMLE vs ZeBro

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

Head to head
About

Board Buddy USMLE

This app transforms studying for the USMLE Step 1 into an engaging experience with interactive games. It offers free games for high-yield topics and a premium subscription for over 20 medical games, practice questions, and 3D anatomy.

Highlights
  • Interactive study games
  • Active recall learning
  • High-yield topic focus
  • 3,000+ practice questions
  • 3D anatomy modules
  • AI-powered explanations
Features
Read full description

Pass USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3 with active recall, AI tutoring, and interactive medical games. Stop passively reading explanations. Board Buddy helps you retain high-yield concepts through spaced repetition, board-style questions, anatomy, ECGs, pathology images, and AI-powered tutoring. Terms of Use (EULA): https://ivymed.net/terms Privacy Policy: https://ivymed.net/privacy

About

ZeBro

Features
Read full description

Train your clinical eye with ZeBro — a gamified medical learning app that turns visual diagnosis into a daily habit. Swipe through real-world cases across three core modalities: • Chest X-rays • Skin lesions • 12-lead ECGs Each swipe sharpens your pattern recognition. Correct calls earn XP, build streaks and unlock achievements. Wrong calls become teachable moments. WHAT'S INSIDE • Hundreds of labeled cases from open, peer-reviewed medical datasets • Detailed disease pages with causes, key findings and clinical pearls • Live streak, XP and level progression while you swipe • Daily goals that rotate between card counts, streak targets and specific topics • 10 long-term achievements across bronze, silver and gold • Mini Games: Endless (one wrong and it's over) and Rush (60 seconds on the clock) • Liquid Glass design across the entire app BUILT FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS ZeBro was made by medical students, for medical students. Whether you're prepping for an OSCE, brushing up before a rotation or just want to keep your eye sharp between shifts, ZeBro gives you focused, high-quality practice in a few minutes a day. PRIVACY-FIRST No accounts. No tracking. No data ever leaves your device. Period. ZeBro is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice or diagnosis.

Screenshots

Board Buddy USMLE4 screens
ZeBro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZeBro at none against Board Buddy USMLE's 4. Board Buddy USMLE's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Board Buddy USMLE sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. ZeBro asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Board Buddy USMLE ships an update every 2 weeks, ZeBro every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Board Buddy USMLE versus ZeBro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoard Buddy USMLEZeBro
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (22 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings22 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size143 MB566 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperBlake YoungGeorg Riepe

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Board Buddy USMLE

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly7 Days trial$29.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan (Promo)$29.991 Month
  • 6-Month7 Days trial$149.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • Yearly7 Days trial$199.991 Year
None

ZeBro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Board Buddy USMLE free?
Board Buddy USMLE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ZeBro free?
ZeBro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Board Buddy USMLE or ZeBro have ads?
Neither Board Buddy USMLE nor ZeBro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Board Buddy USMLE or ZeBro?
Board Buddy USMLE ships an update every 2 weeks, and ZeBro every 3 months. Most recently, Board Buddy USMLE was updated on November 5, 2026 and ZeBro on October 31, 2026.

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