Comparison

ESC Pocket Guidelines vs EchoRef

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

Head to head
About

ESC Pocket Guidelines

Access a comprehensive library of the latest cardiovascular disease guidelines and consensus statements from the European Society of Cardiology. Features include interactive algorithms, full-text search, bookmarking, note-taking, and content sharing capabilities for quick reference and study.

Highlights
  • Latest ESC Guidelines (2023-2025)
  • Interactive algorithms
  • Full-text search
  • Bookmarking and notes
  • Content sharing
  • Printable pages
Features
Read full description

The ESC Pocket Guidelines app now contains the following ESC Pocket Guidelines: ESC Guidelines and documents published in 2025 Cardiovascular disease and pregnancy (Guidelines) Mental health and cardiovascular disease (Consensus Statement) Myocarditis and pericarditis (Guidelines) Valvular heart disease (Joint Guidelines with EACTS) Focused update of the 2019 dyslipidaemias guidelines ESC Guidelines published in 2024 Elevated blood pressure and hypertension Atrial fibrillation Chronic coronary syndromes Peripheral arterial and aortic diseases ESC Guidelines and documents published in 2023 Acute coronary syndromes Cardiomyopathies Cardiovascular disease in diabetes Endocarditis Focused update of the 2021 heart failure guidelines The ESC Pocket Guidelines app also contains interactive tools in the form of algorithms. Additional features: Perform „full text", „index" or „filtered" searches through the entire downloaded content of the app, bookmarks and the notes. Bookmark specific sections or create a personal note and access bookmarks and notes from the „Library“ section. Share links to specific areas of the app via communication channels, e.g. AirDrop, Mail, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and many others. Print pages. Please follow the link below to register for a new MyESC account: https://escol.escardio.org/MyESC/login.aspx

About

EchoRef

This educational reference app provides comprehensive information on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), echocardiography, and cardiac measurements. It includes lessons on interventional procedures and hemodynamic calculations for medical professionals.

Highlights
  • Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)
  • Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)
  • Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
  • Cardiac dimensions and valve measurements
  • Hemodynamic and ultrasound calculations
  • Interventional procedure lessons
Features
Read full description

EchoRef is a free iOS ultrasonography educational reference covering point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Additionally, it contains cardiac dimensions, native/prosthetic valve measurements, hemodynamic/ultrasound calculations, and lessons ranging from interventional procedures to mechanical circulatory support. 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

Screenshots

ESC Pocket Guidelines4 screens
EchoRef4 screens

Verdict

The call

ESC Pocket Guidelines and EchoRef both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of EchoRef's written reviews are positive against 51% of ESC Pocket Guidelines's. EchoRef also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). ESC Pocket Guidelines's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ESC Pocket Guidelines against 4.9 for EchoRef. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 841 and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 51% of ESC Pocket Guidelines's written reviews are positive against 100% of EchoRef's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ESC Pocket Guidelines ships an update every 4 months, EchoRef every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ESC Pocket Guidelines versus EchoRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterESC Pocket GuidelinesEchoRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (841 ratings)4.9 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8411.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB105 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperESC - European Society of CardiologyRishi Kumar

Customer experience

ESC Pocket Guidelines

All ratings841 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive50.8%
Neutral1.6%
Negative47.5%

EchoRef

All ratings1,373 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

ESC Pocket Guidelines

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App crashes on iPad and iPhone devices
  • Login authentication failures
  • White blank page display
  • App crashes when opening pathways
  • Guidelines not appearing in downloaded folder
Show 3 more
  • App incompatible with older iOS versions
  • Slow and sluggish performance
  • Full screen not supported on iPad Mini 6

Requested features

5 requests
  • Update to support iPad Mini 6 resolution
  • Include 2023 ESC Congress updates
  • Remove or make sign-in optional
  • Improve font size and design for better readability
  • Add new guidelines (e.g., 2013 stable angina guidelines)

EchoRef

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ESC Pocket Guidelines

No in-app purchases

None

EchoRef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ESC Pocket Guidelines free?
ESC Pocket Guidelines is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is EchoRef free?
EchoRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ESC Pocket Guidelines or EchoRef?
EchoRef is rated higher. ESC Pocket Guidelines averages 4.8 out of 5 from 841 ratings, while EchoRef averages 4.9 from 1.4K ratings.
Do ESC Pocket Guidelines or EchoRef have ads?
Neither ESC Pocket Guidelines nor EchoRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ESC Pocket Guidelines or EchoRef?
ESC Pocket Guidelines ships an update every 4 months, and EchoRef every 2 months. Most recently, ESC Pocket Guidelines was updated on September 21, 2026 and EchoRef on September 18, 2026.

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