Comparison

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App vs mobilePDR

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

Head to head
About

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App

This comprehensive medical app consolidates 16 specialized tools for anesthesia professionals. It provides quick access to information on patient care in various settings, including obstetrics, pediatrics, trauma, and critical care. Features include drug information, crisis management algorithms, case tips, and calculations.

Highlights
  • Obstetric, pediatric, trauma, surgical, critical care, emergency, and anesthesia settings
  • Malignant Hyperthermia information
  • Medical calculations (ABL/EBV, BMI, MAP, etc.)
  • Anesthesia crisis management algorithms
  • Extensive anesthesia case tips with search
  • Pharmacology information for over 200 drugs/drips
  • Pediatric and OB regional anesthesia guides
Features
Read full description

The Vargo Anesthesia Mega App is a comprehensive, clinician-built platform designed to support anesthesia providers in both preoperative preparation and real-time clinical decision-making. Developed and refined over more than 15 years, the app integrates essential anesthesia, critical care, and perioperative content into one unified system. Built for efficiency and clarity, the Mega App allows providers to quickly access high-value clinical information—whether preparing for a case, reviewing complex physiology, or managing time-sensitive situations in the operating room. The Vargo Anesthesia Mega App brings together a wide range of core anesthesia resources, including: Weight-Based Medication Dosing and Equipment Tables Adult and pediatric dosing and equipment references designed for accuracy across a wide range of patient sizes Cheat Sheets High-yield summaries for rapid review of key anesthesia and critical care concepts Pediatrics Focused pediatric anesthesia guidance and considerations Case Tips Extensive, case-based insights across a broad range of surgical procedures Regional Nerve Blocks & OB Regional Practical guidance for regional anesthesia techniques, including obstetric applications Drugs and Drips Detailed pharmacology with dosing, mechanisms, and clinical application Coagulopathies & Blood Management (TEG/ROTEM) Focused content for complex perioperative and critical care scenarios CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting) Step-by-step guidance from setup through separation from bypass Calculations & Clinical Tools Essential calculations including tidal volume, weight-based dosing, and more Max Local Anesthetic Calculator Quick reference for safe dosing limits Crisis Management Immediate access to critical event management, including: Local Anesthetic Toxicity (LA Max) Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) Blood / TEGs / ROTEM Other high-risk intraoperative events The app is structured for rapid navigation and real-time usability: Clear, organized layout for quick access Concise presentation of complex topics Built to support decision-making under pressure - All future updates and additions are included with a one-time purchase. There are no subscriptions or recurring fees. - Designed for every level of the anesthesia care team. ***iCloud must be switched on to save personal notes.*** This application is intended for educational and clinical reference purposes only. It is designed to support—not replace—the independent judgment of qualified healthcare professionals. It does not diagnose, treat, or provide patient-specific medical advice. All information must be verified based on the individual patient and clinical context.

About

mobilePDR

Access up-to-date drug prescribing information for healthcare professionals. Quickly search thousands of drug summaries, compare medications, and check for interactions. Identify pills with color photos and imprint codes.

Highlights
  • Concise drug summaries
  • Drug comparison tool
  • Drug interaction checker
  • Pill identification with photos
  • Search by brand, generic, or class
  • Continuous updates
Features
Read full description

mobilePDR® is the OFFICIAL drug information app from PDR®, publisher of Physicians’ Desk Reference® – the most trusted resource for drug prescribing information since 1946. mobilePDR allows healthcare professionals FREE access to the most current drug prescribing information available from PDR. Fast and easy to use, mobilePDR employs a simple, but powerful search tool with access to thousands of concise drug summaries. Users can search by generic, brand or pharmacologic class names. A drug comparison feature helps healthcare providers choose the right medication for their patients based on key drug properties such as indications and side effects, dosing, and more. Know at a glance when there may be a drug interaction. Identify a pill based on its physical characteristics and visually confirm with full-color photos. All therapeutic areas and medical specialties are covered within the PDR drug app, including diabetes drugs, pain drugs, asthma and allergy drugs, cardiovascular drugs, obesity drugs, cholesterol drugs, psychiatric and mental health drugs, pediatric drugs, oncology drugs, vaccines and biologics, and more. Features: - Free to all U.S. healthcare professionals - Simple, powerful search provides fast access to drug information with auto-completion - Personalize your experience by saving drugs that you look up often for quick access - Search by brand, generic or pharmacologic class names - Access concise drug summaries and dosing information to answer important prescribing questions - Drug information is updated continuously with the latest information - Covers thousands of drugs in active use - Swipe left-right to compare key drug characteristics such as dosing, indications, and side effects - Save drug comparisons to refer to them again later - Check for drug interactions and learn what drug combinations to avoid - Identify pills by tablet imprint codes, shape or drug color, complete with color pill images Requirements: - Registration is free, and required the first time you use the mobilePDR app - mobilePDR is intended for use by U.S. healthcare professionals

Screenshots

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App4 screens
mobilePDR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Vargo Anesthesia Mega App at 85% against mobilePDR's 32%. Vargo Anesthesia Mega App also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). mobilePDR's advantage is price (Free vs $99.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

mobilePDR is free to download; Vargo Anesthesia Mega App costs $99.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 177 and 101 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Vargo Anesthesia Mega App's written reviews are positive against 32% of mobilePDR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App ships an update every 2 weeks, mobilePDR every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and July 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Vargo Anesthesia Mega App versus mobilePDR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVargo Anesthesia Mega AppmobilePDR
Price$99.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (177 ratings) — better3.2 (101 ratings)
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews — better31.7% of reviews
Number of ratings177 — better101
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size353 MB112 MB
Age rating+1717+
DeveloperVargo Anesthesia IncPDR Equity, LLC

Customer experience

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App

All ratings177 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral5.1%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive84.8%
Neutral12.1%
Negative3.0%

mobilePDR

All ratings101 ratings
Positive51.5%
Neutral11.9%
Negative36.6%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive31.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative55.0%

In-app purchases

None

Vargo Anesthesia Mega App

No in-app purchases

None

mobilePDR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vargo Anesthesia Mega App free?
Vargo Anesthesia Mega App costs $99.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is mobilePDR free?
mobilePDR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vargo Anesthesia Mega App or mobilePDR?
Vargo Anesthesia Mega App is rated higher. Vargo Anesthesia Mega App averages 4.7 out of 5 from 177 ratings, while mobilePDR averages 3.2 from 101 ratings.
Do Vargo Anesthesia Mega App or mobilePDR have ads?
Neither Vargo Anesthesia Mega App nor mobilePDR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vargo Anesthesia Mega App or mobilePDR?
Vargo Anesthesia Mega App ships an update every 2 weeks, and mobilePDR every 2 months. Most recently, Vargo Anesthesia Mega App was updated on September 28, 2026 and mobilePDR on July 3, 2026.

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