Comparison

AHA PALS vs HDFR Protocols

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

AHA PALS

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
Currently charting
Read full description

We continue to iterate based on real-time clinician feedback so that you will have the best experience providing life-saving care at the bedside. The AHA PALS app was developed by Harvard-trained physicians, in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA), to help fellow physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and emergency medical technicians (EMT) deliver the highest level of pediatric advanced life support (PALS) at the point-of-care. This project was inspired by the tremendous success of our AHA ACLS app, which has thousands of clinician users in over 180 countries. Importantly, real-time feedback from our clinician users continuously drives improvements in app design, features, and function. AHA PALS is the only app to have all content vetted by both the American Heart Association (AHA) science team (with license to use PALS content) and practicing Harvard-affiliated physicians. We owe it to our patients to use the best digital health tools to give them the highest chance of surviving acute life-threatening illnesses. To this end, we have developed an intuitive and rigorously vetted mobile app to assist healthcare clinicians—at any stage of training—navigate PALS at the bedside. You can purchase a yearly subscription which begins with a 3-day free trial. After completing the free trial, you will be charged for an annual subscription automatically. Features: - Intuitive design to rapidly access PALS pathways (i.e. cardiac arrest , tachycardia with pulse, bradycardia with pulse, post cardiac arrest care, and critical care references) - Includes all PALS content including drug therapy and dosing, reversible causes, etc. - Easy-to-read timers and ability to log rounds of CPR, epinephrine, and defibrillations. There are additional functionalities to log PALS Cardiac Arrest interventions beyond EPI, CPR , and shocks such as lidocaine and more. - We also added a new metronome feature to improve compression accuracy as well as a ROSC button. - Button within cardiac arrest algorithm that allows for rapid transition to post cardiac arrest care checklist once patient achieves ROSC - Relevant critical care references: (1) drugs used in PALS (i.e., medication names, indications, and doses); (2) vital signs in children; (3) pediatric color-coded length-based resuscitation tape (adapted from Breslow tape) ; (4) pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale - All content rigorously vetted by AHA science team and practicing Harvard-affiliated physicians - Regularly updated with the most up-to-date PALS content

About

HDFR Protocols

This clinical reference app provides Hampton EMS providers with offline access to all protocols, medications, and administrative policies. It features a dosage calculator, quick reference guides, and a comprehensive search function for immediate access to critical information in the field.

Highlights
  • Offline access to protocols
  • Medication dosage calculator
  • Quick reference strips
  • Full-text search
  • Direct calling of contacts
  • Pinch-to-zoom protocol viewing
Features
Read full description

HDFR Protocols is the official clinical reference app for Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue. Built for providers in the field, it puts every Hampton EMS protocol, medication, procedure, and administrative policy in your pocket. The app works completely offline. No internet connection required, no login, no data collected. FEATURES Protocols All Hampton EMS protocols rendered directly from the official Medical Director approved PDF. Tap any protocol to view it full screen with pinch to zoom. Swipe between pages and tap the star to save favorites. Medications The complete Hampton formulary with a built in dosage calculator. Enter patient weight once and get accurate weight based doses for every medication on the formulary. The calculator knows the clinical context so Epinephrine shows the correct dose for cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, or vasopressor use automatically. Quick Reference Every protocol includes a Quick Reference strip at the bottom showing the medications and procedures relevant to that call. Tap any medication to open the drug card and calculate the dose without leaving the protocol. Search Search across all protocols, medications, and procedures at once. Contacts Verified phone numbers for medical control, air transport, and regional resources. Tap any number to call directly. Approved by Dr. Chris Baker, OMD. Protocols effective 03/17/2026. This app does not replace the judgment of a qualified medical provider. Always consult your medical director and follow current agency protocols before making clinical decisions.

Screenshots

AHA PALS4 screens
HDFR Protocols4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AHA PALS at 4.5 against HDFR Protocols's 4.0. AHA PALS also leads on ratings volume (53 vs 2) and chart position (#195 vs unranked). HDFR Protocols's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AHA PALS holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AHA PALS has 53 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
AHA PALS versus HDFR Protocols: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAHA PALSHDFR Protocols
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (53 ratings) — better4.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings53 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#195 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB48 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperMassachusetts General HospitalCity of Hampton

Customer experience

AHA PALS

All ratings53 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative36.4%

HDFR Protocols

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

AHA PALS

Subscriptions1
  • PALS3 Days trial$3.991 Year
None

HDFR Protocols

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AHA PALS free?
AHA PALS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HDFR Protocols free?
HDFR Protocols is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AHA PALS or HDFR Protocols?
AHA PALS is rated higher. AHA PALS averages 4.5 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while HDFR Protocols averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.
Do AHA PALS or HDFR Protocols have ads?
Neither AHA PALS nor HDFR Protocols shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AHA PALS or HDFR Protocols?
AHA PALS ships an update every 2 months, and HDFR Protocols every 2 months. Most recently, AHA PALS was updated on October 14, 2026 and HDFR Protocols on October 7, 2026.

Other comparisons