Comparison

FP Notebook vs GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide

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

Head to head
About

FP Notebook

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
Currently charting
Read full description

Family Practice Notebook is a rapid access, point-of-care medical reference for primary care and emergency clinicians. Started in 1995, this collection now contains over 6100 interlinked topic pages divided into a tree of 31 specialty books and over 700 chapters. FP Notebook’s content is updated monthly with systematic literature reviews and conferences. Please purchase an auto-renewing subscription to receive the latest content. The text content for this mobile application is identical to its online counterparts: fpnotebook.com and fpnotebook.com/mobile. Although access to this application is not restricted, the information found here is intended for use by medical providers. Non-clinical users may find the material challenging to understand, and should address specific medical concerns with their medical providers. Try before you buy with a 14-day FREE trial. After that it's only $24.99/year for access, including continuous content updates. Privacy Policy/Terms & Conditions - http://www.fpnotebook.com/disclaimer.htm

About

GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide

Access the latest Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2021 report and utilize interactive assessment tools. This app provides healthcare professionals with evidence-based guidance for diagnosing and treating COPD patients, including algorithms and management strategies.

Highlights
  • GOLD 2021 Report access
  • Interactive assessment tools
  • COPD treatment algorithm
  • Bookmark important pages
  • Add notes
  • Evidence-based medicine practice
Features
Read full description

Access the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2021 Report at the point of care and use interactive tools such as the Refined ABCD Assessment tool, the mMRC Dyspnea Scale, the CAT Assessment, the COPD treatment algorithm and many more tools. The app allows users to bookmark important pages and add notes. GOLD continuously develops and updates reports. More updates will be added to the app successively. The app is intended for physicians and other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD. Highlights include: - Risk Factors - Diagnosis - Pharmacological Management - Non-pharmacological Management - Follow-up - Patient Guide GOLD Reports help you practice evidence-based medicine. Disclaimer: You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health or fitness problem or disease. You should always consult with a doctor or other health care professional for medical advice or information about diagnosis and treatment before making a medical decision. By using this app, you acknowledge that GOLD nor it’s affiliates can be held liable for healthcare delivered via this platform and understand that this app is not monitored. If you are in need of immediate medical attention, you should immediately call 9-1-1.

Screenshots

FP Notebook4 screens
GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide at none against FP Notebook's 3. GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). FP Notebook's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and chart position (#74 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. FP Notebook sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for FP Notebook against 4.8 for GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FP Notebook has 3.4K ratings behind it against 509, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of FP Notebook's written reviews are positive against 67% of GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FP Notebook ships an update every 2 months, GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
FP Notebook versus GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFP NotebookGOLD 2021 Pocket Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (3.4K ratings) — better4.8 (509 ratings)
Positive reviews61.1% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.4K — better509
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#74 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size141 MB132 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperAtmosphere Apps, Inc.Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease INC

Customer experience

FP Notebook

All ratings3,337 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive61.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative38.9%

GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide

All ratings492 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral2.6%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

FP Notebook

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App freezing or crashing on certain devices
  • Subscription issues or unexpected charges

Requested features

2 requests
  • Ability to earn continuing education credits through the app
  • Improved search functionality

GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

FP Notebook

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$19.991 Year
  • Annual Sub14 Days trial$24.991 Year
None

GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FP Notebook free?
FP Notebook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide free?
GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FP Notebook or GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide?
FP Notebook is rated higher. FP Notebook averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.4K ratings, while GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide averages 4.8 from 509 ratings.
Do FP Notebook or GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide have ads?
Neither FP Notebook nor GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FP Notebook or GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide?
FP Notebook ships an update every 2 months, and GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide every 7 months. Most recently, FP Notebook was updated on November 6, 2026 and GOLD 2021 Pocket Guide on November 3, 2026.

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