Comparison

Acupuncture Assistant vs Tsubook

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

Head to head
About

Acupuncture Assistant

This medical reference app provides detailed information on 390 acupuncture points, including their Chinese names, meanings, categories, and localized illustrations. It offers a search function based on symptoms and allows users to add personal notes, syncing data across devices.

Highlights
  • 390 acupuncture points with illustrations
  • Original Chinese names and meanings
  • Point localization with high-quality images
  • Point actions and indications
  • Search by signs, symptoms, and patterns
  • Add personal notes and sync data
  • Cross-device compatibility
Features
Read full description

THE PIONEER, TWICE OVER The world's first acupuncture app now brings you the first AI agent specialized in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Almost two decades on the road, thousands of acupuncturists, and the same mission: putting the best TCM reference in your pocket. MEET LAO TZU, YOUR AI ASSISTANT Ask in plain language about points, meridians, patterns of disharmony and treatment principles — and get well-founded answers in seconds, 24 hours a day. • Clear up clinical and theoretical questions on the spot, no book-flipping • Explore point combinations and treatment reasoning • Already included, so you can try it as soon as you install COMPLETE ATLAS: 390 ILLUSTRATED POINTS All regular points + 29 extra points. Each point includes: • Original name and its meaning • Category (Five Shu, Back-Shu, Hui-Meeting, Xi-Cleft, Luo-Connecting and more) • Location with high-quality illustrative images • Actions and indications • Target area and Unitary Channel SMART SEARCH BY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS Much more than an atlas: type any sign, symptom, pattern or desired action and instantly get suggestions of the points and protocols best suited to the treatment. YOUR NOTES, ON ALL YOUR DEVICES Add observations from your own practice to any point. Everything is saved, synced across your devices and included in the suggestion search. BUY ONCE, USE FOREVER A single purchase gives you lifetime access to all 390 points, the smart search and your point notes, on your iPhone and iPad. No monthly fee whatsoever to use the app. If you want to go further, there's the optional Pro plan, with unlimited conversations with Lao Tzu and exclusive features — but the atlas you bought is yours forever. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Any issues? Contact us at tcmpoints.com and we'll make it right. Acupuncture Assistant is a reference and study tool for acupuncture professionals and students. It does not replace the assessment of a healthcare professional. Suggestions, questions or corrections: https://tcmpoints.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tcmpoints.com/privacy/

About

Tsubook

This app provides comprehensive information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, including points, meridians, and diagnostic areas. It features 3D anatomical models and detailed point information, serving as a portable reference and toolbox for practitioners and students.

Highlights
  • 3D human body models
  • 14 TCM meridians
  • Masunaga's meridians
  • Diagnosis areas (Hara and Back)
  • 361 main acupuncture points
  • Over 600 indications
  • Advanced point details
Features
Read full description

Tsubook is a mobile application with instant access to all the information you need about points, meridians and other content related to Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is both a reference book and a toolbox that fits in your pocket! Recommended by the Shiatsu Society UK, the AOBTA, the Shiatsu Society Ireland and more than 150 other organizations and schools: https://www.tsubook.net/en/partner-schools/ FREE CONTENT (see paid content below)  • 3D human body  • 14 meridians from the TCM:   • Lung, Large intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small intestine, Urinary Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Triple Burner, Gallbladder, Liver, Governing Vessel (Du Mai), Conception Vessel (Ren Mai)  • 6 Masunaga's meridians:   • Lung, Large intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small intestine  • 6 diagnosis areas (Hara and Back):   • Lung, Large intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small intestine  • The 361 main points:   • Meridian and place (ex: ST6, LI12,...)   • 3D view and text for easy location PAID CONTENT : 3.99 € by month (currency and price may change depending on your country)  • Bones, muscles and organs  • +6 extraordinary vessels  • All the Masunaga's meridians  • All the diagnosis areas (Hara and Back)  • More than 600 indications:   • Search bar to find indications easily   • For each indication: global 3D view and list of the most common points  • 11 point categories:   • Front (Mu, Bo) points • Back (Shu, Yu) points   • 5 Shu points (with annual tonification/sedation)   • Xi-cleft (Accumulation) points   • Luo (Connecting, Junction) points   • 8 Master (Coupled, Confluent) points   • Yuan (Source) points   • Hui (Meeting) points   • Four Seas points   • Lower He Sea (Yin, Uniting) points   • Window of the sky points  • Advanced point details:   • Traditional Chinese Medicine properties   • Japanese, Chinese and English names   • Japanese and Chinese ideograms   • Categories of the point   • Most common indications associated with this point *** The paid content is available to buy inside the free version *** This app will be useful to students and therapists of acupuncture, shiatsu (Koho, Masunaga, Ohashi, etc), acupressure, tuina, digitopressure, digitopuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, kinesiology, reflexology, Qi Gong and more. If you miss relevant information for your technique, please tell us: https://www.tsubook.net/en/contact/ Thanks to Florence Legeay and Tamsin Grainger for the research work on the points, to Olivier Vaillant and Ivan Bel for the point names in different languages (http://www.shiatsu-therapeutique.org/index.php/fr/2015/11/20/traductions-points-acupuncture-fr-en-jp-ch/) and to our fabulous translators: Jordan Chin, Katharina Bouchaar, Tamsin Grainger, Tamara Lunn, Amanda Priestley, Claudia Wnning, Isabelle Laroche. Do you want to be notified when a new version is available? Then subscribe to our newsletter: http://www.tsubook.net/en/subscription/ Do you want to talk with us and other Tsubook users? Then subscribe to our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tsubookers/ End-User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Acupuncture Assistant4 screens
Tsubook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Tsubook at Free against Acupuncture Assistant's $14.99. Tsubook also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 64%) and ratings volume (49 vs 11). On rating, update cadence, 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

Tsubook is free to download; Acupuncture Assistant costs $14.99 up front. Acupuncture Assistant sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Tsubook sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Acupuncture Assistant against 4.9 for Tsubook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 49 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Acupuncture Assistant's written reviews are positive against 89% of Tsubook's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Acupuncture Assistant ships an update fortnightly, Tsubook monthly. Both last shipped on September 21, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Acupuncture Assistant versus Tsubook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcupuncture AssistantTsubook
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (11 ratings)4.9 (49 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.9% of reviews88.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1149 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB185 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperDPG TECH LTDAStudio Levart

Customer experience

Acupuncture Assistant

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive63.9%
Neutral8.3%
Negative27.8%

Tsubook

All ratings49 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews81 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral2.5%
Negative8.6%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Acupuncture Assistant

Subscriptions4
  • Montly VIP subscription1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Montly VIP subscription$1.991 Month
  • Acupuncture Assistant Pro$2.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Yearly VIP Subscription$19.991 Year
10 purchases

Tsubook

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited full content (-50%)$1.991 Month
  • Unlimited full content$3.991 Month
One-time8
  • Upgrade v6$4.99
  • Masunaga's meridians$17.99
  • Full content v6$39.99
Show 5 more
  • Content v6 +Diag areas$49.99
  • Content v6 +Masunaga$59.99
  • Full content v6 (x2)$69.99
  • Content v6 +Diag areas (x2)$79.99
  • Content v6 +Masunaga (x2)$99.99

Questions

Is Acupuncture Assistant free?
Acupuncture Assistant costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Tsubook free?
Tsubook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Acupuncture Assistant or Tsubook?
Tsubook is rated higher. Acupuncture Assistant averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Tsubook averages 4.9 from 49 ratings.
Do Acupuncture Assistant or Tsubook have ads?
Neither Acupuncture Assistant nor Tsubook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Acupuncture Assistant or Tsubook?
Acupuncture Assistant ships an update fortnightly, and Tsubook monthly. Most recently, Acupuncture Assistant was updated on September 21, 2026 and Tsubook on September 21, 2026.

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