# The Chief Complaint vs NIHSS+

The clearest difference is update cadence: NIHSS+ at every 2 weeks against The Chief Complaint's every 9 months. NIHSS+ also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%). The Chief Complaint's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (649 vs 8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Chief Complaint holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Chief Complaint has 649 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of The Chief Complaint's written reviews are positive against 100% of NIHSS+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Chief Complaint ships an update every 9 months, NIHSS+ every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 17, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Chief Complaint | NIHSS+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (649 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chief-complaint/id969426649/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihss-plus/id1669590578/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **649** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 88.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 157 MB | 1.2 GB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Escavo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/466952342) | [Apex Innovations](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669590580) |

## What reviewers say

### The Chief Complaint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chief-complaint/id969426649)

This emergency medicine guide offers an algorithmic approach to over 50 common complaints. It provides decision support, links to medical resources, and includes a drug guide and calculators. A clinical community forum is also available for collaboration.

**Highlights:** Algorithmic approach to common ER complaints, Clinical decision support algorithms, Links to medical resources (PubMed, EM:RAP, etc.), Emergency medicine drug guide, Medical calculators and scores, ESCAVO Clinical Community forum

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use interface
- 🧠 Comprehensive differential diagnosis algorithms
- 📚 Excellent educational resource for medical students and residents
- 🎯 Clear, concise, and thorough clinical guidance
- 🔗 Evidence-based recommendations with step-by-step approach

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 No iPad landscape mode support
- ⚠️ Potentially outdated information (per one user)
- 📖 Sparse coverage in some specialty areas (OB/GYN, toxicology)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when deleting bookmarks

**Requested features**

- iPad landscape orientation support
- Additional drug information in complaint categories
- Expanded content for OB/GYN and toxicology sections


### NIHSS+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihss-plus/id1669590578)

This app provides a digital learning format for evaluating stroke symptoms based on the established NIHSS scale. It offers guidance for accurate stroke assessment, tips, and support for telestroke situations, intended for educational purposes.

**Highlights:** Stroke symptom evaluation, Digital learning format, Accurate stroke assessment guidance, Tips and tricks for assessment, Telestroke situation support, Educational training

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Chief Complaint free?

The Chief Complaint is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NIHSS+ free?

NIHSS+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Chief Complaint or NIHSS+?

The Chief Complaint is rated higher. The Chief Complaint averages 4.8 out of 5 from 649 ratings, while NIHSS+ averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do The Chief Complaint or NIHSS+ have ads?

Neither The Chief Complaint nor NIHSS+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Chief Complaint or NIHSS+?

The Chief Complaint ships an update every 9 months, and NIHSS+ every 2 weeks. Most recently, The Chief Complaint was updated on July 17, 2026 and NIHSS+ on August 30, 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.*