Comparison

RNotes® vs Nursing Diagnosis Reference

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

Head to head
About

RNotes®

This clinical reference app provides nurses and students with quick access to essential medical information, including guidelines, procedures, and exam preparation tools. It features full-color images, charts, and customizable notes to enhance patient care and learning.

Highlights
  • Quick-reference clinical nursing information
  • Updated AHA guidelines
  • Full-color images and charts
  • NCLEX exam topic indicators
  • Step-by-step procedures and assessment guidance
  • Customizable notes and highlights
  • Nursing alerts for critical safety information
Features
Read full description

** The essential clinical companion for nurses and students ** ABOUT RNOTES® RNotes is a quick-reference application that puts the latest clinically-focused nursing information at your fingertips, helping you improve patient care. Find answers fast by browsing or searching, then review clinical findings, collaborative management, and quick-read information along with full-color images and charts. The latest edition also helps students prepare for the NCLEX examinations by noting topics that are covered on the exam. FEATURES • Answers to the questions faced in clinical rotations • Updated AHA guidelines • Full-color images and figures • NCLEX icons indicating topics found on licensure exam • Step-by-step procedures and enhanced physical assessment guidance • Details for interpreting ECG, lab values, priority interventions, and more • Convenient tables and charts for finding information quickly • Ability to make custom notes and highlights within entries • Nursing alerts highlighting critical safety information • “Favorites” for bookmarking important topics Author: Ehren Myers Publisher: F.A. Davis Powered by: Unbound Medicine Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement

About

Nursing Diagnosis Reference

This medical reference app provides evidence-based nursing diagnoses, interventions, and rationales for various clinical scenarios. It's designed for students and practicing nurses to streamline care planning and improve patient outcomes with up-to-date NANDA-I classifications.

Highlights
  • Evidence-based diagnoses
  • Interventions and rationales
  • Updated NANDA-I classifications
  • Quick reference format
  • Alphabetized monographs
  • Quality and Safety Education for Nurses criteria
Features
Read full description

"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. In-App purchase required to unlock all content. Streamline patient care with the Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual, 12th Edition! This essential guide offers clear, evidence-based diagnoses, interventions, and rationales for every clinical scenario. Perfect for students and practicing nurses, it’s a quick-reference must-have for accurate care planning and improved outcomes. Clearly written, logically organized, and updated to reflect the 2021-2023 NANDA-I definitions and classifications, Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual, 12th Edition, delivers fast, easy access to essential information and instills the confidence students need to successfully apply diagnoses in a wide variety of clinical settings. This enhanced, thoroughly revised edition leverages the nursing process to guide students through 267 comprehensive monographs for NANDA-I-approved nursing diagnoses. Each standalone monograph is alphabetized for quick reference and written and reviewed by leaders throughout the field of nursing, making it easier than ever to access reliable, up-to-date nursing diagnosis information, related factors, and Quality and Safety Education for Nurses criteria for patient-centered care or safe practice. Content licensed from printed ISBN-13: 9781975201609 Content licensed from printed ISBN-10: 1975201604 If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-3000 Privacy Policy - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Author(s): Linda Phelps DNP, RN Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Health

Screenshots

RNotes®4 screens
Nursing Diagnosis Reference4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: RNotes® at none against Nursing Diagnosis Reference's shown. Nursing Diagnosis Reference's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. RNotes® sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Nursing Diagnosis Reference sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $30.99 per 3 months. 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 — 4.5 for RNotes® against 4.4 for Nursing Diagnosis Reference. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 28 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
RNotes® versus Nursing Diagnosis Reference: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRNotes®Nursing Diagnosis Reference
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (41 ratings) — better4.4 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings41 — better28
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 7 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB149 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperUnbound Medicine, Inc.Skyscape Medpresso Inc

Customer experience

RNotes®

All ratings41 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral4.9%
Negative9.8%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Nursing Diagnosis Reference

All ratings28 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RNotes®

One-time3
  • RNotes® 4th Edition$29.99
  • RNotes® 5th Edition$29.99
  • RNotes$29.99
4 purchases

Nursing Diagnosis Reference

Subscriptions3
  • SparksTaylor's Nursing 3M sub$30.993 Months
  • SparksTaylor's Nursing 6M sub$40.996 Months
  • SparksTaylor's Nursing 1/Y sub$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Nursing Diagnosis Reference$79.99

Questions

Is RNotes® free?
RNotes® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nursing Diagnosis Reference free?
Nursing Diagnosis Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RNotes® or Nursing Diagnosis Reference?
RNotes® is rated higher. RNotes® averages 4.5 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Nursing Diagnosis Reference averages 4.4 from 28 ratings.
Do RNotes® or Nursing Diagnosis Reference have ads?
Nursing Diagnosis Reference shows ads; RNotes® does not.
Which is updated more often, RNotes® or Nursing Diagnosis Reference?
RNotes® ships an update every 7 months, and Nursing Diagnosis Reference every 7 months. Most recently, RNotes® was updated on October 11, 2026 and Nursing Diagnosis Reference on October 8, 2026.

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