# MGH Access vs Pocket ICU

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MGH Access at none against Pocket ICU's 3. MGH Access also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Pocket ICU's advantage is ratings volume (317 vs 5). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket ICU sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. MGH Access asks for nothing beyond the download.

MGH Access holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket ICU has 317 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

MGH Access ships an update every 8 months, Pocket ICU every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MGH Access | Pocket ICU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mgh-access/id940190328/reviews)** | [4.6 (317 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-icu/id999527431/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **317** |
| Positive reviews | — | 64.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 70 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Massachusetts General Hospital](https://appshunter.io/developer/376928206) | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) |

## What reviewers say

### MGH Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mgh-access/id940190328)

Connect with Massachusetts General Hospital services and clinicians on the go. Easily find, favorite, and contact specialty provider practices for referrals and transfers. Share contact information with colleagues or friends.

**Highlights:** Connect to MGH services and clinicians, Find and favorite specialty practices, Facilitate referrals and inpatient transfers, Share provider contacts, Provide feedback to the development team

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pocket ICU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-icu/id999527431)

This app offers concise critical care guidance written by attending physicians. It covers diagnosis, treatment, and management across various subspecialties, including detailed images and decision algorithms. Quickly find information, bookmark entries, and take notes for efficient ICU rounds and consultations.

**Highlights:** Concise guidance by attending physicians, Diagnosis, treatment, and management details, Subspecialty coverage, Detailed images and algorithms, Statistics and EBM overview, Pharmacological data and formulas, Full text search and bookmarking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket ICU | $69.99 | one-time |
| Pocket ICU 2023 | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Quick reference material
- 👍 Well-laid out and written material
- 👍 Useful for reviewing previous cases
- 👍 Resourceful and to the point
- 👍 Good preview/summary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 No access for duration paid
- 😞 Not user friendly/confusing
- 😞 Disappointed content (nursing school without experience)
- 😞 Bait and switch (expensive, not well thought out)
- 😞 Content is limited

**Reported bugs**

- No information loads after purchase
- Issues with download/access


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MGH Access free?

MGH Access is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pocket ICU free?

Pocket ICU is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MGH Access or Pocket ICU?

MGH Access is rated higher. MGH Access averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Pocket ICU averages 4.6 from 317 ratings.

### Do MGH Access or Pocket ICU have ads?

Neither MGH Access nor Pocket ICU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MGH Access or Pocket ICU?

MGH Access ships an update every 8 months, and Pocket ICU every 9 months. Most recently, MGH Access was updated on October 14, 2026 and Pocket ICU on October 24, 2026.

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