Comparison

QABA vs Go Narrow

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

Head to head
About

QABA

This medical app provides quantitative acid-base analysis by allowing users to input blood results. It calculates key variables like Strong Ion Difference and Net Unmeasured Ions, offering a color-coded results screen and a user guide. It's designed for medical professionals to aid in clinical decision-making.

Highlights
  • Quantitative Acid Base Analysis
  • Blood result input
  • Calculates SID, NUI, Atot
  • Color-coded results screen
  • Includes User Guide
  • Supports additional lab values
Features
Read full description

Quantitative Acid Base Analyser Download now and take your Acid Base Analysis to a new and quantitative level! Completely Free! ------------------------------------------------------------------ QABA is designed for Anaesthetic/ICU Consultants and Registrars, but may also be useful for other health and veterinary professionals QABA allows you to enter the blood results and quickly analyse the Acid Base disturbance as per a refinement of the Quantitative Acid Base Analysis introduced by P. Stewart in 1978 The App features: 'swipe' buttons for quick data entry, a colour coded results screen, with a text report & Gamblegram. The App also includes a brief introduction to understanding QABA and a User Guide. Just enter the levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, pH, CO2 and the App will calculate the results of the 3 independent variables that control blood plasma pH; CO2 Strong Ion Difference (SID) and Weak Acids (Atot), NB: Atot requires at least Albumin or Total Protein level. The app will also display the Net Unmeasured Ions (NUI). NUI is an advancement on the Strong Ion Gap used in Stewarts original equations which is comparable to the Anion Gap used in traditional acid base analysis. For added Analysis accuracy QABA can also accept the phosphate, ionised calcium, magnesium, sulphate, lactate, urate, albumin and total protein levels. This App is based on version 11.6 of the P Lloyd 'Quantitative Acid Base Analysis' in use at Hawkes Bay hospital, New Zealand. The App was written by Dr C Donald and supervised by Intensivists Dr M Park and Dr R Freebairn. ------------ Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this anylser an accurate and useful clinical tool. However the results must be considered alongside the clinical context and the user assumes all liability/responsibility for the clinical decisions made based upon QABA's results

About

Go Narrow

This educational game helps medical students and residents learn antibiotic coverage for various bacteria. It uses interactive levels simulating culture plates and animated lessons on mechanisms of action and resistance. The app also includes a lab section for practicing Gram staining and morphology identification.

Highlights
  • Interactive culture plate levels
  • Learn antibiotic-bacteria coverage
  • Animated mechanisms of action
  • Resistance mechanism lessons
  • Gram staining and morphology practice
  • Targeted review of incorrect answers
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

I'm a microbiology resident, and ever since I studied antibiotics in medical school I've been thinking about how antibiotic coverage could be taught in a fun way. Many medical students, and residents too, really struggle with it. Go Narrow is my answer: a game that teaches which antibiotics cover which bacteria, and why. Each level is a culture plate. Tap the bacteria your antibiotic covers, leave the ones it doesn't, and use the culture result to choose the narrowest drug that works. Every wrong tap tells you why in one sentence: an enzyme destroys the drug, its target has changed, or the drug can't get in. The pairs you get wrong come back for review until they stick. Target lessons animate the mechanism of action, from the cell wall and membrane to the ribosome, DNA gyrase and folate synthesis. Resistance lessons show how bacteria fight back: MRSA, VRE, ESBL, AmpC, carbapenemases and CRAB. In the Lab you learn Gram staining step by step and train your eye for morphology: Klebsiella are Gram-negative rods, staphylococci Gram-positive cocci in clusters, streptococci Gram-positive cocci in chains. For learning only: real prescribing depends on local resistance, the site of infection and the patient, so always follow your local guidelines.

Screenshots

QABA4 screens
Go Narrow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: QABA at Free against Go Narrow's $5.99. QABA also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Go Narrow's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 34 months) and chart position (#119 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

QABA is free to download; Go Narrow costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for QABA against 5.0 for Go Narrow. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of QABA's written reviews are positive against 100% of Go Narrow's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QABA ships an update every 34 months, Go Narrow every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
QABA versus Go Narrow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQABAGo Narrow
PriceFree — better$5.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews91.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings35 — better
Update frequencyEvery 34 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#119 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB4 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCalum DonaldJohanna Galaski

Customer experience

QABA

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%

Go Narrow

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

QABA

No in-app purchases

None

Go Narrow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is QABA free?
QABA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Go Narrow free?
Go Narrow costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, QABA or Go Narrow?
QABA and Go Narrow are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 5 ratings respectively.
Do QABA or Go Narrow have ads?
Neither QABA nor Go Narrow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, QABA or Go Narrow?
QABA ships an update every 34 months, and Go Narrow every 2 days. Most recently, QABA was updated on November 1, 2026 and Go Narrow on November 6, 2026.

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