# Pocket ICU vs ABGs NOW!

The clearest difference is price: Pocket ICU at Free against ABGs NOW!'s $0.99. Pocket ICU also leads on ratings volume (317 vs 2). ABGs NOW!'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Pocket ICU is free to download; ABGs NOW! costs $0.99 up front. Pocket ICU sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. ABGs NOW! asks for nothing beyond the download.

ABGs NOW! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket ICU has 317 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pocket ICU ships an update every 5 months, ABGs NOW! every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket ICU | ABGs NOW! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (317 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-icu/id999527431/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abgs-now/id1496483403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **317** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 9 MB | 161 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [Bytewise Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496483402) |

## What reviewers say

### 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, with detailed images and decision support algorithms. Advanced search and bookmarking features allow for quick information retrieval.

**Highlights:** Concise guidance from attending physicians, Diagnosis, treatment, and management details, Subspecialty coverage, Detailed images and algorithms, Pharmacological data and formulas, Advanced full-text search, Bookmarking and note-taking

**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


### ABGs NOW!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abgs-now/id1496483403)

Master arterial blood gas interpretation with this interactive tool. It offers a calculator for quick answers, practice sessions with hints, and a challenge mode to test your skills. Detailed analysis is provided for any errors, making learning engaging.

**Highlights:** ABG Calculator, Practice Mode with Hints, Challenge Mode, Detailed Analysis, Knowledge Strengthening

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket ICU free?

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

### Is ABGs NOW! free?

ABGs NOW! costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket ICU or ABGs NOW!?

ABGs NOW! is rated higher. Pocket ICU averages 4.6 out of 5 from 317 ratings, while ABGs NOW! averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Pocket ICU or ABGs NOW! have ads?

Neither Pocket ICU nor ABGs NOW! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket ICU or ABGs NOW!?

Pocket ICU ships an update every 5 months, and ABGs NOW! every 2 months. Most recently, Pocket ICU was updated on November 11, 2026 and ABGs NOW! on November 11, 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.*