# EMS Explained vs First Responder Retirement

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Responder Retirement at none against EMS Explained's 22. EMS Explained's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. EMS Explained sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. First Responder Retirement asks for nothing beyond the download.

EMS Explained ships an update every 4 weeks, First Responder Retirement fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EMS Explained | First Responder Retirement |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ems-explained/id1518487459/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **29** | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 73 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Miguel Hernandez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518487458) | [Emily Sudduth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721274803) |

## What reviewers say

### EMS Explained

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ems-explained/id1518487459)

This comprehensive study aid helps students prepare for various Emergency Medical Services exams, including NREMT, Paramedic, and AHA certifications. It offers thousands of practice questions with detailed explanations and progress tracking to optimize study strategies.

**Highlights:** Thousands of practice questions, Detailed explanations, Progress tracking, Covers EMR, EMT, Paramedic, CCP, Supports AHA BLS, ACLS, PALS, State-specific and NREMT prep

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AHA Access | $4.99 | per month |
| EMR 1 Month | $6.99 | per month |
| AHA Access | $6.99 | per month |
| ACLS Prep 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PALS Prep 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| EMT 1 Month - All Access | $9.99 | per month |
| Critical Care Paramedic Access | $9.99 | per month |
| REMAC 1 Month - All Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Paramedic 1 Month - All Access | $14.99 | per month |
| AHA All Access Bundle 1 Month | $19.99 | per month |
| Paramedic Bundle 1 Month | $19.99 | per month |
| NYC Paramedic Bundle 1 Month | $19.99 | per month |
| EMT 3 Months - All Access | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Paramedic 3 Month - All Access | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| REMAC 3 Months - All Access | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| EMT 6 Months - All Access | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| Paramedic Bundle 3 Month | $34.99 | per 3 months |
| NYC Paramedic Bundle 3 Month | $34.99 | per 3 months |
| Paramedic 1 Year - All Access | $89.99 | per year |
| REMAC 1 Year - All Access | $89.99 | per year |
| NYC Paramedic Bundle 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |
| Paramedic Bundle 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |


### First Responder Retirement

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-responder-retirement/id6504368393)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EMS Explained free?

EMS Explained is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is First Responder Retirement free?

First Responder Retirement is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do EMS Explained or First Responder Retirement have ads?

Neither EMS Explained nor First Responder Retirement shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EMS Explained or First Responder Retirement?

EMS Explained ships an update every 4 weeks, and First Responder Retirement fortnightly. Most recently, EMS Explained was updated on September 9, 2026 and First Responder Retirement on September 18, 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.*