ESC Pocket Guidelines vs Sanford Guide Antimicrobial
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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Sanford Guide Antimicrobial
Provides clinicians with concise, evidence-based treatment guidance for infectious diseases. Features interactive tools like spectra charts, drug interaction checkers, and dosing calculators to support rapid decision-making in fast-paced medical settings.
- Clinically actionable answers
- Institutionally diverse editorial team
- Constant updates
- Interactive antibacterial spectra chart
- Drug-drug interaction checker
- Trustworthy dosing calculators
Read full descriptionHide full description
Clinically Actionable, Concise Answers Get exactly what you need to make the best decision in a fast-paced setting. Institutionally Diverse Editorial Team by Design Not every organization has the same patient population, budget, or processes. We bring perspectives from many medical institutions. Constant Updates New recommendations are added quickly by our nine-member editorial team. ‘Why Didn’t I Think of That’ Tools An interactive antibacterial spectra chart, drug-drug interactions, and trustworthy calculators to define accurate dosing. Praise from Providers “Indispensable—If you're going to prescribe you must have a way to remain current.” “One of the most helpful tools in medicine!” “I use this app every day I work” Who Needs This App Since 1969, Sanford Guide has been the leading clinical treatment guide for infectious diseases. Popular with physicians, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians, Sanford Guide provides convenient, concise, and reliable medical information. Coverage includes clinical syndromes (organized by anatomic system/site of infection), pathogens (bacterial, fungal, mycobacterial, parasitic and viral), anti-infective agents (dosing, adverse effects, activity, pharmacology, interactions), expanded HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis information, specialized dosing tables and tools, calculators, and preventative therapy, all evidence-based and extensively referenced. Sanford Guide Antimicrobial Therapy is currently written in the English language. Auto-renewing subscriptions: -An in-app subscription is $39.99 for one year. (Subscription price varies by country) -Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. -Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. -Your Apple ID will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. -Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. -No cancellation of a current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period. -Subscriptions are subject to our Terms of Use, which are available at: https://www.sanfordguide.com/about/legal/terms-of-use/. -Our privacy policy can be viewed at: https://www.sanfordguide.com/about/legal/privacy-policy/ Disclaimer: The “Sanford Guide Antimicrobial Therapy” app is intended for use by health care professionals and trainees only, and not by the general public. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the content of this app. However, current full prescribing information available in the package insert for each drug should be consulted before prescribing any product. The editors and publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of our print and digital content, and make no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the currency, accuracy, or completeness of the contents of this publication. The information in this app is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Application of this information in a particular situation remains solely the professional responsibility of the health care provider.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESC Pocket Guidelines at none against Sanford Guide Antimicrobial's 3. Sanford Guide Antimicrobial's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 53%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). 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. Sanford Guide Antimicrobial sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. ESC Pocket Guidelines asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ESC Pocket Guidelines against 4.8 for Sanford Guide Antimicrobial. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 841 and 1.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 53% of ESC Pocket Guidelines's written reviews are positive against 85% of Sanford Guide Antimicrobial's.
ESC Pocket Guidelines ships an update every 4 months, Sanford Guide Antimicrobial every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.
| Parameter | ESC Pocket Guidelines | Sanford Guide Antimicrobial |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (841 ratings) — better | 4.8 (1.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.9% of reviews | 84.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 841 | 1.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | #8 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | +17 | 17+ |
| Developer | ESC - European Society of Cardiology | Antimicrobial Therapy, Inc. |
Customer experience
ESC Pocket Guidelines
Sanford Guide Antimicrobial
User reviews
ESC Pocket Guidelines
From 841 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Practical and handy for clinical use
- 📚 Valuable medical information and guidelines
- ⭐ Excellent content quality
- 🎯 Easy to use interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and stability issues
- 🔐 Sign-in system problematic and unnecessary
- 📖 Small font size and poor design readability
- ❌ Missing content topics after updates
- ⚪ Blank white page display issues
Sanford Guide Antimicrobial
From 1.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick access to information
- 💡 Helpful charts and tables
- 🔍 Comprehensive coverage of infections and treatments
- 📚 Up-to-date content and frequent updates
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezing
- ⏱️ Slow search function
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Login issues and subscription verification problems
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 moreShow fewer
- 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)
Sanford Guide Antimicrobial
Reported bugs
3 issues- App freezing or closing unexpectedly
- Login and subscription verification problems
- Corrupted passwords and inability to reset
Requested features
3 requests- Side-by-side antibiotic susceptibility comparison
- Offline access to content
- Improved navigation and UI
In-app purchases
ESC Pocket Guidelines
No in-app purchases
Sanford Guide Antimicrobial
- U.S. Vaccine Guidelines7 Days trial$4.991 Year
- Sanford Guide7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Sanford Guide All Access7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Questions
Is ESC Pocket Guidelines free?
Is Sanford Guide Antimicrobial free?
Which has better reviews, ESC Pocket Guidelines or Sanford Guide Antimicrobial?
Do ESC Pocket Guidelines or Sanford Guide Antimicrobial have ads?
Which is updated more often, ESC Pocket Guidelines or Sanford Guide Antimicrobial?
Other comparisons















