HydroAssist vs CNS+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HydroAssist
This app allows individuals with hydrocephalus to securely store and access their complete medical treatment history, including surgeries, shunt settings, and symptom diaries. It also facilitates sharing this information with medical professionals and loved ones.
- Track surgeries and shunt settings
- Log symptom history
- Store imaging scans (MRI/CT)
- Manage important contacts
- Export and share medical summaries
- Find local physicians
- Authorize loved ones for access
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HydroAssist® is the first mobile app that allows you to take your entire hydrocephalus medical treatment history and symptom diary with you to access when needed. Created by medical professionals and an award-winning app developer, HydroAssist is the easiest way to track your surgeries, shunt settings, imaging scans, and symptoms over time. The app also stores a list of contacts, should medical personnel need to reach a family member, friend, or physician if you are unable. To get started, download our app for free and visit https://www.hydroassoc.org/hydroassist/ to get started. Key features: - Easily enter your hydrocephalus treatments - Updated list of new shunt valves and other devices - Capture MRI and CT scans for quick reference - Track hydrocephalus symptoms over time - Export treatment summaries with images and share via text, email, etc. - Export symptom entries and share via text, email, etc. - Find a local physician based on your location - Authorize loved ones to view your information - Enter important contact info for doctors and family members
CNS+
Access a comprehensive collection of neurological surgery educational resources, including guidelines, publications, and courses. Manage your professional development with features like 'My Education' and 'My CME'.
- CNS Guidelines access
- CNS Publications access
- My Education & My CME integration
- Case of the Month
- Neurosurgery Watch
- Podcasts
- Courses & Webinars
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CNS+ houses all the CNS online education and apps you love in one convenient place! Download the app today and access CNS Guidelines, CNS Publications and CNS education in the palm of your hand. CNS+ also integrates with your CNS profile and enables access to "My Education" and "My CME". Features include: - Case of the Month - Neurosurgery Watch - Podcasts - CNS Spotlight - Neurosurgery Surgery Survival Guide - Nexus - Courses - Webinars - And more!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CNS+ at 5.0 against HydroAssist's 4.1. CNS+ also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). HydroAssist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (27 vs 4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CNS+ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HydroAssist has 27 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of HydroAssist's written reviews are positive against 100% of CNS+'s.
HydroAssist ships an update every 2 months, CNS+ every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HydroAssist | CNS+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (27 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 27 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 116 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Hydrocephalus Association | Congress of Neurological Surgeons |
Customer experience
HydroAssist
CNS+
In-app purchases
HydroAssist
No in-app purchases
CNS+
No in-app purchases
