# boostEM vs Pocket ICU

boostEM and Pocket ICU both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of boostEM's written reviews are positive against 64% of Pocket ICU's. boostEM also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). Pocket ICU's advantage is ratings volume (316 vs 9). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for boostEM against 4.6 for Pocket ICU. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket ICU has 316 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of boostEM's written reviews are positive against 64% of Pocket ICU's.

boostEM ships an update every 3 weeks, Pocket ICU every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on June 6, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | boostEM | Pocket ICU |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boostem/id991962466/reviews) | [4.6 (316 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-icu/id999527431/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **316** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 64.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 20 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Dirkes Medical, PLLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1668683062) | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) |

## What reviewers say

### boostEM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boostem/id991962466)

A medical calculator for emergency physicians, offering over 60 clinical decision rules and rapid medication doses. Includes tools like a pupillometer and visual acuity chart, functioning offline without ads.

**Highlights:** 60+ clinical decision rule calculators, Rapid medication doses, Pupillometer, Estimated gestational age calculator, Visual acuity chart, Offline functionality

**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 |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is boostEM free?

boostEM 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, boostEM or Pocket ICU?

boostEM and Pocket ICU are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 316 ratings respectively.

### Do boostEM or Pocket ICU have ads?

Neither boostEM nor Pocket ICU shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, boostEM or Pocket ICU?

boostEM ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pocket ICU every 9 months. Most recently, boostEM was updated on June 6, 2026 and Pocket ICU on September 27, 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.*