# AHA PALS vs CorePendium

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CorePendium at none against AHA PALS's 1. CorePendium also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 53). AHA PALS's advantage is chart position (#166 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AHA PALS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per year. CorePendium asks for nothing beyond the download.

CorePendium holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CorePendium has 1.5K ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of AHA PALS's written reviews are positive against 62% of CorePendium's.

AHA PALS ships an update every 2 months, CorePendium monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AHA PALS | CorePendium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aha-pals/id1577470913/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/corependium/id1581291387/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 53 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#166** | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Massachusetts General Hospital](https://appshunter.io/developer/376928206) | [EM:RAP, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/804248263) |

## What reviewers say

### AHA PALS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aha-pals/id1577470913)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

This app provides pediatric advanced life support (PALS) protocols and tools for healthcare professionals at the point-of-care. Developed by physicians and vetted by the American Heart Association, it offers intuitive access to algorithms, drug information, and timers for critical care situations.

**Highlights:** PALS pathways and algorithms, Drug therapy and dosing, CPR and intervention timers, Metronome for compression accuracy, Critical care references, Vetted by AHA and physicians

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PALS | $3.99 | per year |


### CorePendium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/corependium/id1581291387)

This app provides a comprehensive, continuously updated, and peer-reviewed clinical reference for Emergency and Urgent Care Medicine. It features integrated multimedia, offline access, intuitive navigation, and medical calculators, making it an essential tool for medical professionals on the go.

**Highlights:** Expert-backed, continuously revised content, Integrated media library (ECGs, X-rays, videos, audio), Offline access to all content, Intuitive navigation with Rapid Access and Deep Dive sections, Integrated medical calculators, Links to EM:RAP knowledge base content

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great resource
- 👍 Excellent and usable app
- 👍 Terrific point of care resource
- 👍 Invaluable for EM residents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lacking search functionality
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Poor indexing and content organization

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- iPad version
- Ability to track progress and bookmark content
- Video playback controls (speed, rewind)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AHA PALS free?

AHA PALS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CorePendium free?

CorePendium is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AHA PALS or CorePendium?

CorePendium is rated higher. AHA PALS averages 4.5 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while CorePendium averages 4.9 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do AHA PALS or CorePendium have ads?

Neither AHA PALS nor CorePendium shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AHA PALS or CorePendium?

AHA PALS ships an update every 2 months, and CorePendium monthly. Most recently, AHA PALS was updated on October 14, 2026 and CorePendium on October 15, 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.*