# RNotes® vs Nursing Essentials

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nursing Essentials at 100% against RNotes®'s 0%. Nursing Essentials also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). RNotes®'s advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ads (none vs shown). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RNotes® sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Nursing Essentials asks for nothing beyond the download.

RNotes® holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RNotes® has 41 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of RNotes®'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Nursing Essentials's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

RNotes® ships an update every 7 months, Nursing Essentials every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | RNotes® | Nursing Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnotes/id940109641/reviews)** | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nursing-essentials-pkt-guide/id1319846926/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **41** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [Skyscape Medpresso Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/818609416) |

## What reviewers say

### RNotes®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnotes/id940109641)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RNotes® 4th Edition | $29.99 | one-time |
| RNotes® 5th Edition | $29.99 | one-time |
| RNotes | $29.99 | one-time |


### Nursing Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nursing-essentials-pkt-guide/id1319846926)

This app provides a comprehensive collection of medical information and tools for nurses, including drug and disease monographs, lab test values, and clinical calculators. It offers quick access to essential data for both students and practicing nurses, with offline functionality and smart search capabilities.

**Highlights:** Drug and disease monographs, Lab test values, Clinical calculators, Nursing skills guides, SmartSearch technology, Offline access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RNotes® free?

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

### Is Nursing Essentials free?

Nursing Essentials is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, RNotes® or Nursing Essentials?

RNotes® is rated higher. RNotes® averages 4.5 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Nursing Essentials averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do RNotes® or Nursing Essentials have ads?

Nursing Essentials shows ads; RNotes® does not.

### Which is updated more often, RNotes® or Nursing Essentials?

RNotes® ships an update every 7 months, and Nursing Essentials every 3 months. Most recently, RNotes® was updated on October 11, 2026 and Nursing Essentials on September 24, 2026.

---

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