ESC Pocket Guidelines vs EchoRef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Latest ESC Guidelines (2023-2025)
- Interactive algorithms
- Full-text search
- Bookmarking and notes
- Content sharing
- Printable pages
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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
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.
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)
- Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)
- Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
- Cardiac dimensions and valve measurements
- Hemodynamic and ultrasound calculations
- Interventional procedure lessons
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | ESC Pocket Guidelines | EchoRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (841 ratings) | 4.9 (1.4K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 841 | 1.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ESC - European Society of Cardiology | Rishi Kumar |
Customer experience
ESC Pocket Guidelines
EchoRef
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
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- 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
ESC Pocket Guidelines
No in-app purchases
EchoRef
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ESC Pocket Guidelines free?
Is EchoRef free?
Which has better reviews, ESC Pocket Guidelines or EchoRef?
Do ESC Pocket Guidelines or EchoRef have ads?
Which is updated more often, ESC Pocket Guidelines or EchoRef?
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