# VentRef vs CardioShift

The clearest difference is price: VentRef at Free against CardioShift's $19.99. VentRef also leads on ratings volume (44 vs 1). CardioShift's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

VentRef is free to download; CardioShift costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for VentRef against 5.0 for CardioShift. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VentRef has 44 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

VentRef ships an update every 3 weeks, CardioShift every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VentRef | CardioShift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Rating | [5.0 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ventref/id6756503414/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardioshift/id6794941735/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 27 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Rishi Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434016052) | [PRISCILLA NUNES MEDEIROS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6794941737) |

## What reviewers say

### VentRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ventref/id6756503414)

A clinical reference tool for healthcare professionals managing mechanical ventilation and oxygen therapy. It provides information grounded in respiratory physiology and evidence-based critical care.

**Highlights:** Mechanical ventilation reference, Oxygen therapy reference, Respiratory physiology, Evidence-based critical care, Clinical decision support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### CardioShift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardioshift/id6794941735)

A quick-reference medical app for cardiac surgery and critical care clinicians. It provides essential bedside information on phenotypes, guidelines, hemodynamics, and post-operative care, all accessible offline. Includes a quiz mode for knowledge testing.

**Highlights:** Bedside clinical reference, Offline functionality, Cited trials and guidelines, Phenotypes and staging, Hemodynamics explained, Mechanical circulatory support, Quiz mode for recall

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VentRef free?

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

### Is CardioShift free?

CardioShift costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, VentRef or CardioShift?

VentRef and CardioShift are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 44 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do VentRef or CardioShift have ads?

Neither VentRef nor CardioShift shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VentRef or CardioShift?

VentRef ships an update every 3 weeks, and CardioShift every 2 weeks. Most recently, VentRef was updated on October 10, 2026 and CardioShift on September 23, 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.*