# Shield Study vs DFE Forensics Essentials Prep

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shield Study | DFE Forensics Essentials Prep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shield-study/id6742087820/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 18 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Corey Gillespie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796727084) | [Davy Raitt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795318281) |

## What reviewers say

### Shield Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shield-study/id6742087820)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription Plan | $8.00 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $40.00 | per year |


### DFE Forensics Essentials Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dfe-forensics-essentials-prep/id6758678052)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*