Comparison

PALS Review vs AHA ACLS

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

Head to head
About

PALS Review

Prepare for your Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification with comprehensive study materials and practice exams. Master critical concepts, algorithms, and drug dosages based on the latest American Heart Association guidelines. Improve your ability to recognize and treat pediatric emergencies.

Highlights
  • Over 200 study cards for PALS concepts
  • Four 25-question practice exams
  • Detailed rationale for answers
  • Pediatric resuscitation concepts
  • Integrated ECG strip interpretation
  • Covers BCLS, Pharmacology, Algorithms, ACLS
Features
Read full description

Get the extra prep you need with the Limmer PALS Review app To pass your PALS course, you must be able to recognize and identify specific conditions like respiratory failure, cardiac rhythm disturbances, and shock, and you must show you can treat them appropriately according to American Heart Association algorithms and recommendations. The Limmer Education's PALS Review app can help you increase your ability to recognize and respond to these and many other conditions, both in class and in the field. In addition to getting vital information on rates, rhythms, and doses, our PALS review study tool gives you a thorough review of the following topic areas, all of which you must be able to understand and interpret to pass your class: BCLS Pharmacology Algorithms ACLS Core Principles Whether you’re a first-time student or back for renewal, our PALS review tool provides high-quality, realistic study help and practice examinations based on most up-to-date AHA guidelines. Highlights of the PALS Review app More than 200 study cards covering key PALS concepts Four 25-question practice exams matching AHA style and content areas with scenario-based questions like you’ll see on the exam Detailed rationale answers for each question to help you master course content Pediatric resuscitation concepts Integrated ECG strips for interpretation practice, strips may be expanded to full screen for easy viewing

About

AHA ACLS

This app provides clinicians with a digital tool to assist in running cardiac arrest codes and delivering advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) at the bedside. It features the latest AHA recommendations and includes intuitive access to algorithms, drug dosing, and timers for efficient patient care.

Highlights
  • 4 ACLS algorithms (cardiac arrest, tachycardia, bradycardia, post-arrest)
  • Latest 2025 AHA ACLS content
  • Drug therapy and dosing
  • Easy-to-read timers
  • CPR and epinephrine logging
  • Rapid transition to post-arrest care
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The AHA ACLS app is the American Heart Association's (AHA) officially endorsed digital health solution to assist clinicians in running codes and delivering bedside ACLS care with actual patients. The app was developed by Harvard-trained physicians, in collaboration with the AHA, to help fellow physicians, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and EMTs deliver the highest level of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) at the point-of-care. It began as a project to assist clinicians within Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital—and then expanded to have a global scope after significant positive impact was demonstrated. Importantly, real-time feedback from our clinician users continuously drives improvements in app design, features, and function so that you will have the best experience providing life-saving care at the bedside. The AHA ACLS app is the only one to have all content vetted by both the AHA science team and practicing Harvard-affiliated physicians. It also features the latest 2025 release of AHA recommendations for ACLS. We owe it to our patients to use the best digital health tools to give them the highest chance of surviving acute life-threatening cardiac illnesses. To this end, we have developed a low cost, intuitive, and rigorously vetted mobile app to assist clinicians— including in all stages of training—and enhance ACLS care at the bedside. Features: - Intuitive design to rapidly access 4 ACLS algorithms (i.e. cardiac arrest, tachycardia with pulse, bradycardia with pulse, and post cardiac arrest care) - Includes all recently released 2025 ACLS content including drug therapy and dosing, reversible causes, etc. - Easy-to-read timers and ability to log rounds of CPR, epinephrine, and defibrillations - Button within cardiac arrest algorithm that allows for rapid transition to post cardiac arrest care pathway once patient achieves ROSC - All content rigorously vetted by AHA science team and practicing Harvard-affiliated physicians 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. AHA ACLS offers an auto-renewing annual subscription at $3.99/year with a 3-day free trial. You will have unlimited access to all content while you maintain an active subscription. Payment will be charged to the credit card connected to your Apple ID Account when you confirm the initial subscription purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You may manage your subscription and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after the purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. You can read more about our terms and conditions in the app.

Screenshots

PALS Review4 screens
AHA ACLS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PALS Review at 73% against AHA ACLS's 26%. PALS Review also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). AHA ACLS's advantage is price (Free vs $5.99) and rating (4.9 vs 2.8). On 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

AHA ACLS is free to download; PALS Review costs $5.99 up front. AHA ACLS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per year. PALS Review asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AHA ACLS holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AHA ACLS has 370 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of PALS Review's written reviews are positive against 26% of AHA ACLS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PALS Review ships an update every 14 months, AHA ACLS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
PALS Review versus AHA ACLS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPALS ReviewAHA ACLS
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating2.8 (4 ratings)4.9 (370 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.7% of reviews — better26.3% of reviews
Number of ratings4370 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#48 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB48 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperLimmer CreativeMassachusetts General Hospital

Customer experience

PALS Review

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.3%

AHA ACLS

All ratings277 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.4%
Negative0.4%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive26.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative70.0%

Bugs and requests

PALS Review

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AHA ACLS

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App fails to load information despite subscription payment
  • Users locked out of app mid-code
  • Unexpected app crashes during critical moments

Requested features

10 requests
  • Multiple log storage with dates
  • More detailed code logging with event documentation (IO access, medications, rhythms)
  • End code button and pause compressions feature
  • Real-time log tracking for back-charting
  • LVAD algorithm inclusion
Show 5 more
  • Additional medication counters (bicarbonate, calcium)
  • One-time purchase option instead of subscription
  • Free basic version with premium features behind paywall
  • Voluntary donation model instead of mandatory subscription
  • Actual time reflection in logs for accurate timekeeping

In-app purchases

None

PALS Review

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

AHA ACLS

Subscriptions1
  • ACLS Pro3 Days trial$3.991 Year

Questions

Is PALS Review free?
PALS Review costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AHA ACLS free?
AHA ACLS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PALS Review or AHA ACLS?
AHA ACLS is rated higher. PALS Review averages 2.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while AHA ACLS averages 4.9 from 370 ratings.
Do PALS Review or AHA ACLS have ads?
Neither PALS Review nor AHA ACLS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PALS Review or AHA ACLS?
PALS Review ships an update every 14 months, and AHA ACLS every 2 months. Most recently, PALS Review was updated on October 26, 2026 and AHA ACLS on October 27, 2026.

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