# Pocket ICU vs Quick Reference Critical Care

The clearest difference is ads: Pocket ICU at none against Quick Reference Critical Care's shown. Pocket ICU also leads on ratings volume (316 vs 10). Quick Reference Critical Care's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket ICU sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Quick Reference Critical Care sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per 6 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Quick Reference Critical Care holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket ICU has 316 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pocket ICU ships an update every 9 months, Quick Reference Critical Care every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket ICU | Quick Reference Critical Care |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (316 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-icu/id999527431/reviews) | **[4.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-reference-critical-care/id1568426076/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **316** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) | [Skyscape Medpresso Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/818609416) |

## 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, 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 |


### Quick Reference Critical Care

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-reference-critical-care/id1568426076)

This app provides immediate, on-the-job answers for critical care professionals. It offers updated, evidence-based procedures and stabilization practices in a quick-read outline format, covering a broad range of patient topics by body system.

**Highlights:** Updated critical care content, Full-color images, Extensive abbreviations list, Bulleted outline format, Over 350 illustrations, Body system chapters, SmartSearch technology

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quick Ref-Critical Care 6M Sub | $39.99 | per 6 months |
| Quick Ref-Critical Care 1Y Sub | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket ICU free?

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

### Is Quick Reference Critical Care free?

Quick Reference Critical Care is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket ICU or Quick Reference Critical Care?

Quick Reference Critical Care is rated higher. Pocket ICU averages 4.6 out of 5 from 316 ratings, while Quick Reference Critical Care averages 4.9 from 10 ratings.

### Do Pocket ICU or Quick Reference Critical Care have ads?

Quick Reference Critical Care shows ads; Pocket ICU does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket ICU or Quick Reference Critical Care?

Pocket ICU ships an update every 9 months, and Quick Reference Critical Care every 6 months. Most recently, Pocket ICU was updated on September 24, 2026 and Quick Reference Critical Care on September 10, 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.*