# FP Notebook vs APEA

The clearest difference is rating: FP Notebook at 4.8 against APEA's 2.3. FP Notebook also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 20%) and ratings volume (3.3K vs 51). APEA's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FP Notebook sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and APEA sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FP Notebook holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FP Notebook has 3.3K ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of FP Notebook's written reviews are positive against 20% of APEA's.

FP Notebook ships an update every 2 months, APEA every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FP Notebook | APEA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fp-notebook/id835973313/reviews)** | [2.3 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apea/id1110550236/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.3K** | 51 |
| Positive reviews | **61.1% of reviews** | 19.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#54** | — |
| Size | 134 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.3 | **13** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Atmosphere Apps, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/334077424) | [Advanced Practice Education Associates, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1110550235) |

## What reviewers say

### FP Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fp-notebook/id835973313)

**Currently charting:** #54 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

A comprehensive medical reference for primary care and emergency clinicians, offering rapid access to over 6100 interlinked topic pages. Content is updated monthly through literature reviews and conferences, providing up-to-date information for medical professionals.

**Highlights:** Rapid access medical reference, Over 6100 interlinked topic pages, Content updated monthly, 31 specialty books, 700+ chapters, Point-of-care tool

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Sub | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent, comprehensive medical reference
- ⚡️ Efficient, concise, and easy to use
- 🧠 Invaluable for medical students, residents, and practitioners
- 🤝 Highly recommended by users
- 🕰️ Frequently used and relied upon for years

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model frustrates some users who previously had free access
- 🐞 Occasional app freezing or crashing issues reported
- 🔍 Built-in search function could be improved

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing or crashing on certain devices
- Subscription issues or unexpected charges

**Requested features**

- Ability to earn continuing education credits through the app
- Improved search functionality


### APEA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apea/id1110550236)

Access free media content, video and audio courses, and continuing education lectures. Features a mobile reference for primary care with concise diagnosis and treatment information for over 370 conditions.

**Highlights:** Free media content and guidance, Video and audio CE courses, Downloadable CE certificates, Mobile primary care reference, Diagnosis and treatment information, View recent activity, Direct contact with APEA

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MyQBank 20 Questions | $0.99 | one-time |
| Clinical Brief | $7.99 | one-time |
| CareOnPoint | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great content and material
- 👍 Useful for continuing education
- 👍 Helpful for NP students
- 👍 Good for on-the-go studying
- 👍 Access to audio lectures

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App frequently doesn't work
- 🐛 Videos freeze or don't load
- 🐛 Content not registering as watched
- 🐛 Rewind/fast forward limited
- 🐛 Pausing resets lectures

**Reported bugs**

- App never works
- Videos freeze
- Videos don't register as watched
- Pausing lectures resets them
- Fast forward/rewind only in 10-second intervals

**Requested features**

- Allow resuming saved exams from the app
- Allow staying logged into the app
- Add more question sets
- Improve UI formatting for iPhones
- Fix UI elements that are not tappable


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FP Notebook free?

FP Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is APEA free?

APEA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, FP Notebook or APEA?

FP Notebook is rated higher. FP Notebook averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.3K ratings, while APEA averages 2.3 from 51 ratings.

### Do FP Notebook or APEA have ads?

Neither FP Notebook nor APEA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FP Notebook or APEA?

FP Notebook ships an update every 2 months, and APEA every 3 weeks. Most recently, FP Notebook was updated on October 3, 2026 and APEA on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*