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

Echocardiography and point-of-care ultrasound organized for the bedside. EchoRef is a comprehensive echocardiography and ultrasound reference for physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians, sonographers, medical students, and other healthcare learners. Review TEE, TTE, and POCUS videos, check cardiac measurements and diagnostic criteria, evaluate native and prosthetic valves, and perform commonly used ultrasound and hemodynamic calculations, all in one focused reference. FEATURES • Educational video library covering 2D and 3D TEE, interventional echocardiography, mechanical circulatory support, and clinical cases • POCUS instruction for cardiac, lung, abdominal, vascular, and peripheral nerve block examinations • Cardiac anatomy measurements and reference values for chamber size, ventricular function, diastology, and vascular structures • Native valve assessment for aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonic stenosis and regurgitation • Prosthetic valve reference for surgical valves, TAVR, and prosthesis evaluation • Ultrasound and hemodynamic calculators for valve area, cardiac output, ventricular function, filling pressures, vascular resistance, shunts, fluid responsiveness, and more • Cardiac equations, hemodynamic reference values, and ultrasound physics • Clinical protocols, focused examination guidance, findings atlas, and reporting documentation • Acquisition guidance, measurement tips, common pitfalls, and related clinical content • Global search, favorites, related links, and personal notes EchoRef connects ultrasound physics, image acquisition, echocardiographic interpretation, and bedside decision-making. Whether you are learning standard views, reviewing an unfamiliar finding, evaluating valve disease, 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 EchoRef 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.

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 53% of ESC Pocket Guidelines's. ESC Pocket Guidelines's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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: 53% 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 November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 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 reviews52.9% 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 MB104 MB
Age rating+1717+
DeveloperESC - European Society of CardiologyRishi Kumar

Customer experience

ESC Pocket Guidelines

All ratings841 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews68 reviews
Positive52.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative44.1%

EchoRef

All ratings1,387 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 November 1, 2026 and EchoRef on November 2, 2026.

Other comparisons