Comparison

ECGRef 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

ECGRef

An educational reference for interpreting electrocardiograms, this app covers electrophysiology, rhythm recognition, and common patterns. It aims to assist clinicians and students in accurate bedside ECG analysis.

Highlights
  • Electrophysiology concepts
  • Rhythm recognition
  • Clinically relevant patterns
  • Bedside ECG analysis support
  • Educational reference
Features
Read full description

ECG interpretation, organized for the bedside. ECGRef is a comprehensive electrocardiogram reference for physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, medical students, and other healthcare learners. Use a structured interpretation workflow, review rhythm patterns, explore ECG leads, check diagnostic criteria, and perform commonly used ECG calculations all in one focused reference. FEATURES • Step-by-step ECG interpretation workflow • Rhythm recognition and clinically relevant pattern review • Interactive frontal-plane and precordial lead explorer • Searchable library of ECG terminology and concepts • ECG calculators for heart rate, QTc, cardiac axis, ventricular hypertrophy, bundle branch block, wide-complex tachycardia, and more • Clinical risk tools • Bedside takeaways, common pitfalls, and “do not miss” findings • Favorites, global search, related content, and personal notes ECGRef connects core electrophysiology with practical ECG analysis. Whether you are learning a systematic approach, reviewing an unfamiliar rhythm, or checking a calculation, the app makes relevant information easy to find. Created by Rishi Kumar, MD, FACC (“RK.MD”), an academic adult cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and cardiovascular ICU intensivist committed to free, open-access medical education. Learn more at https://rk.md ECGRef is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice and is not a substitute for professional judgment, diagnosis, or treatment. Clinical findings and calculations must be independently verified and interpreted in the context of the individual patient. Seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical condition. Do not disregard or delay professional medical advice because of information provided by this app.

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

ECGRef4 screens
Critical Care Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

ECGRef and Critical Care Vault both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of ECGRef's written reviews are positive against 67% of Critical Care Vault's. Critical Care Vault's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ECGRef holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ECGRef's written reviews are positive against 67% of Critical Care Vault's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ECGRef ships an update every 3 weeks, Critical Care Vault every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ECGRef versus Critical Care Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterECGRefCritical Care Vault
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (32 ratings) — better4.8 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings32 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB20 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperRishi KumarJosue Edmond

Customer experience

ECGRef

All ratings31 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral3.2%
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

ECGRef

No in-app purchases

None

Critical Care Vault

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ECGRef free?
ECGRef 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, ECGRef or Critical Care Vault?
ECGRef is rated higher. ECGRef averages 4.9 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Critical Care Vault averages 4.8 from 14 ratings.
Do ECGRef or Critical Care Vault have ads?
Neither ECGRef nor Critical Care Vault shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ECGRef or Critical Care Vault?
ECGRef ships an update every 3 weeks, and Critical Care Vault every 4 days. Most recently, ECGRef was updated on November 5, 2026 and Critical Care Vault on November 15, 2026.

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