Comparison

Hello Bedside vs VitalCore

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

Head to head
About

Hello Bedside

Practice real-time clinical judgment and communication skills with an AI patient. This app offers voice-based scenarios for nursing students, covering various specialties and NCLEX preparation. Get personalized feedback on your reasoning and communication from an experienced nurse.

Highlights
  • AI patient interaction
  • Voice-based clinical scenarios
  • Real-time feedback on reasoning
  • NCLEX preparation
  • Multiple nursing specialties
  • SBAR and hard conversation practice
Features
Read full description

Most nursing students know the content. They freeze when they're standing at the bedside. Bedside is where you practice that part. You speak out loud. An AI patient answers. When the session ends, you get feedback on your clinical reasoning and how you communicated. There is no multiple choice and no answer key, only a conversation and an honest review of it. FOR CLINICAL ROTATIONS 90 voice-based scenarios cover med-surg, pediatrics, mental health, labor and delivery, maternity, critical care, emergency, substance use, end-of-life, families, and community health. Pick your rotation and run the conversation until it feels natural. Each scenario opens with a patient card: name, age, chief complaint. From there you ask questions, give instructions, and talk through what you think is happening and what you would do next. The patient responds the way a real one would, including when you ask badly. Difficulty runs from 1 (your first week on the floor) to 5 (critical emergencies and ethical dilemmas). Move up when you're ready. FOR NCLEX PREP The Next Gen NCLEX tests clinical judgment, not just recall. 14 NCLEX scenarios put you in situations like early sepsis and competing patient priorities, and you talk through your reasoning out loud. The AI scores it against the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model, the framework behind the exam. If you've done thousands of practice questions and still feel underprepared, this is the gap. You need reps thinking out loud, not more rationales. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick a scenario by rotation, specialty, or difficulty. 2. Talk to the AI patient out loud. 3. Explain your clinical decisions as you make them. 4. Get specific feedback on your judgment and communication as soon as the session ends. BUILT BY A NURSE Every scenario and rubric was written by Dr. Stacie Dee, DNP, PMHNP-BC. 11 years in emergency medicine. Faculty at Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing. The feedback you get is what a clinical instructor actually looks for. One-time purchase. No auto-renewal. Access ends automatically. Bedside is an educational tool and does not provide medical advice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN. NCLEX is a registered trademark of NCSBN.

About

VitalCore

This educational simulator provides hands-on training for cardiac perfusion, cardiopulmonary bypass, and ECMO. It features interactive labs for hemodynamic monitoring, pharmacology, and device study, designed for students and instructors.

Highlights
  • Hemodynamic monitor simulator
  • CPB training simulator
  • ECMO mode simulator
  • Pharmacology study lab
  • ECMO Guide Book
  • Device study guides
  • Interactive clinical simulation lab
Read full description

VitalCore Sim is a free educational training simulator for cardiac perfusion, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and critical care coursework. BUILT FOR LEARNERS Designed for perfusion students, cardiac surgery trainees, nursing educators, and simulation instructors — not for patient care, diagnosis, or clinical decision-making. WHAT'S INSIDE Training Simulators • Hemodynamic monitor simulator with fictional waveforms and alarm scenarios • CPB training simulator with teaching checklists and fictional bypass runs • ECMO mode simulator with VV/VA configuration drills • Mock code lab for emergency scenario practice • Interactive clinical simulation lab with timed drills Study Reference Tools • Pharmacology study lab with illustrative dosing math (not prescribing) • ECMO Guide Book — educational content adapted from published critical care literature • Device study guides for VAD, IABP, cannulation, and perfusion equipment • Valve selection teaching tool with hemodynamic concepts • Pathway library with literature-based clinical protocols • Normal values reference and universal checklist templates ---- https://vitalcore.web.app/privacy-policy.html https://vitalcore.web.app/eula.html

Screenshots

Hello Bedside4 screens
VitalCore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Hello Bedside at none against VitalCore's shown. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Hello Bedside sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and VitalCore sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hello Bedside against 5.0 for VitalCore. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 5, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Hello Bedside versus VitalCore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHello BedsideVitalCore
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysEvery 2 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB50 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperMBAAppsAbdulrazaq Alonazi

Customer experience

Hello Bedside

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

VitalCore

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

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Hello Bedside

One-time3
  • 1 Clinical Simulation$1.99
  • Rotation Pass$19.99
  • NCLEX Pass$34.99
1 purchases

VitalCore

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is Hello Bedside free?
Hello Bedside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VitalCore free?
VitalCore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hello Bedside or VitalCore?
Hello Bedside and VitalCore are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Hello Bedside or VitalCore have ads?
VitalCore shows ads; Hello Bedside does not.
Which is updated more often, Hello Bedside or VitalCore?
Hello Bedside ships an update every 2 days, and VitalCore every 2 days. Most recently, Hello Bedside was updated on October 5, 2026 and VitalCore on October 5, 2026.

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