# Nurse's Drug Handbook vs RNotes

The clearest difference is monetization model: RNotes at free with in-app purchases against Nurse's Drug Handbook's subscription. RNotes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Nurse's Drug Handbook's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 26). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nurse's Drug Handbook sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and RNotes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

RNotes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nurse's Drug Handbook has 1.4K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nurse's Drug Handbook | RNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nurses-drug-handbook/id955936241/reviews) | **[5.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnotes-nurses-pocket-guide/id1145374210/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.4K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 45.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#192** | — |
| Size | 112 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Atmosphere Apps, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/334077424) | [Skyscape Medpresso Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/818609416) |

## What reviewers say

### Nurse's Drug Handbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nurses-drug-handbook/id955936241)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

Access comprehensive drug information for healthcare professionals. This app provides accurate, timely facts on hundreds of medications, organized alphabetically with detailed entries covering indications, dosages, interactions, and nursing considerations. Stay updated with the latest edition through an annual subscription.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of drug facts, Alphabetical drug entries, Indications and dosages, Drug interactions, Nursing considerations, Personalized notes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription - Student | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Convenient for quick reference
- 🙌 Helpful for nursing students and professionals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚨 Missing many common medications
- ❌ Incomplete drug information
- 💰 Not worth the subscription cost
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Search function not working properly
- Subscription issues and inability to cancel

**Requested features**

- Add more medications, especially newer and common ones
- Improve drug information details and formatting
- Provide more frequent app updates
- Allow subscription management and cancellation


### RNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnotes-nurses-pocket-guide/id1145374210)

This medical reference app provides essential nursing information for students and professionals. It offers quick access to clinical content, NCLEX tips, and safety alerts, with updated guidelines and laboratory values. An in-app purchase unlocks all features and ongoing updates.

**Highlights:** Nursing Alerts for critical safety information, HIPAA- and OSHA-compliant notes, Quick-access tabs for fast navigation, Highlighted critical laboratory values, Interventions and patient education, ACLS resuscitation procedures

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RNotes 1/Y Sub | $29.99 | per year |
| RNotes®: Nurse's Clinical Pock | $29.99 | one-time |
| RNotes Ed.6 | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nurse's Drug Handbook free?

Nurse's Drug Handbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RNotes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nurse's Drug Handbook or RNotes?

RNotes is rated higher. Nurse's Drug Handbook averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings, while RNotes averages 5.0 from 26 ratings.

### Do Nurse's Drug Handbook or RNotes have ads?

RNotes shows ads; Nurse's Drug Handbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Nurse's Drug Handbook or RNotes?

Nurse's Drug Handbook ships an update every 5 months, and RNotes every 5 months. Most recently, Nurse's Drug Handbook was updated on November 6, 2026 and RNotes on November 2, 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.*