Comparison

Shield Study vs DFE Forensics Essentials Prep

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

Head to head
About

Shield Study

Prepare for police promotional exams with a quiz-based study tool. Test your knowledge on departmental policies and Maryland Law, and track your progress. Currently supports the Baltimore Police Department.

Highlights
  • Quiz-based study tool
  • Test knowledge on policies
  • Track progress
  • Maryland Law questions
  • Supports Baltimore Police Department
Read full description

Looking to prepare for a police promotional exam? Shield Study is a quiz based study tool that allows users to test their knowledge and track their progress while answering questions about departmental policies and Maryland Law. Current List of Supported Departments - Baltimore Police Department Disclaimer: This app is an independent study aid for individuals preparing for Baltimore Police Department promotional exams. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or otherwise connected to the Baltimore Police Department, the City of Baltimore, or any government entity. The quiz questions are created using publicly available information, including BPD policies and the Maryland Digest of Laws. Baltimore Police Policies may be found at https://www.baltimorepolice.org/policies. This app does not provide official legal or policy advice.

About

DFE Forensics Essentials Prep

Features
Read full description

PASS YOUR DIGITAL FORENSICS ESSENTIALS EXAM Master cybercrime investigation with 500+ practice questions covering evidence collection, file system analysis, and forensic methodology. 500+ practice questions 5-minute study sessions Track your progress Remove mastered questions Text-to-speech support Dark mode available WHY GET CERTIFIED? Digital forensics professionals earn up to $127K annually (PayScale 2024). EC-Council certification validates your ability to investigate cybercrimes and collect admissible evidence for legal proceedings. WHAT YOU'LL MASTER: • NIST Four-Step Forensic Process including collection, examination, analysis, and reporting • Order of Volatility principles following RFC 3227 standards • Chain of Custody documentation and evidence integrity procedures • Daubert and Frye Standards for expert testimony admissibility • MBR and GPT disk structures with partition table analysis • NTFS Master File Table attributes, metadata, and timeline reconstruction • FAT12, FAT16, and FAT32 file system structures • Slack space analysis for hidden data recovery • Live acquisition versus dead acquisition methodologies • Windows Registry forensics including hives, keys, and artifact analysis • Memory forensics with RAM dump analysis and process investigation • Network forensics including packet capture and protocol analysis • Email investigation techniques for header analysis and message tracking • Malware analysis with static and dynamic examination methods • Dark Web investigation and anonymity network tracing STUDY ANYWHERE: Coffee breaks. Commutes. Lunch hours. Turn dead time into digital forensics expertise. Download now. Pass your exam. Master cybercrime investigation.

Screenshots

Shield Study3 screens
DFE Forensics Essentials Prep3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DFE Forensics Essentials Prep at none against Shield Study's 2. DFE Forensics Essentials Prep also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Shield Study's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). On price and ads 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. Shield Study sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.00 per month. DFE Forensics Essentials Prep asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shield Study ships an update every 3 days, DFE Forensics Essentials Prep every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Shield Study versus DFE Forensics Essentials Prep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShield StudyDFE Forensics Essentials Prep
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB27 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperCorey GillespieDavy Raitt

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Shield Study

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription Plan3 Days trial$8.001 Month
  • Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$40.001 Year
None

DFE Forensics Essentials Prep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shield Study free?
Shield Study is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DFE Forensics Essentials Prep free?
DFE Forensics Essentials Prep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shield Study or DFE Forensics Essentials Prep have ads?
Neither Shield Study nor DFE Forensics Essentials Prep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shield Study or DFE Forensics Essentials Prep?
Shield Study ships an update every 3 days, and DFE Forensics Essentials Prep every 4 months. Most recently, Shield Study was updated on October 4, 2026 and DFE Forensics Essentials Prep on September 30, 2026.

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