---
title: "Course comparison: SaMD, IEC 62304 and IEC 82304-1 vs Software for Medical Devices and IEC 62304"
description: "A guide to help choose which of our online courses to take - SaMD, IEC 62304 and IEC 82304-1 VS Software for Medical Devices and IEC 62304"
url: "https://medicaldevicehq.com/course-comparison-samd-iec-62304-and-iec-82304-1-vs-software-for-medical-devices-and-iec-62304/"
date_modified: "2026-06-04T13:04:02+02:00"
---

# COURSE COMPARISON: SaMD, IEC 62304 and IEC 82304-1 VS Software for Medical Devices and IEC 62304

---

This guide is to help customers choose which course to take.

Choose “[SAMD, IEC 62304 AND IEC 82304-1](/introduction-to-samd-iec62304-and-iec-82304-1-online-course/)” if you:

- Are working with SaMD software.
- Are auditing medical device software in general as this course gives you a broader understanding of medical device software.

Choose “[SOFTWARE FOR MEDICAL DEVICES AND IEC 62304](/introduction-to-software-for-medical-devices-and-iec62304-online-course/)” if you:

- Are only interested in embedded software.
- Only need a course certificate/training record for IEC 62304.
- Have less time and want to get a basic understanding of medical device software.

### High level content comparison table

| Topic | SAMD, IEC 62304 AND IEC 82304-1 | SOFTWARE FOR MEDICAL DEVICES AND IEC 62304 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Software and medical devices | Goes into greater detail about different software types, such as SaMD, SiMD and MDSW, compared to the Software for Medical Devices course. | Relates to IEC 60601-1 (electrical safety) which is not part of the SaMD course. |
| SaMD standards and IEC 82304-1 | Detailed explanation of IEC 82304-1 and an introduction to other SaMD applicable standards in a standalone lesson. | A brief introduction to IEC 82304-1 which is about standalone software (SaMD). But it does not have its own lesson as it is out of scope. |
| IEC62304 | Does not include legacy software as it is less likely to be applicable to SaMD. | Includes explanation of legacy software. |
| Software and risk management | Includes an introduction to cybersecurity based on IEC 81001-5-1. | Nothing specific on cybersecurity. |
| Software design | Explains software design per IEC 62304 with the addition of an introduction to cloud services and working with AI/ML. | Explains software design per IEC 62304. |
| Software release and post release management | Explains software release and post release management per IEC 62304. It also includes SaMD release aspects related to IEC 82304-1 and ISO 13485. | Explains software release and post release management per IEC 62304. |

[Go to the Software online course page](/introduction-to-software-for-medical-devices-and-iec62304-online-course/)

[Go to the SaMD online course page](/introduction-to-samd-iec62304-and-iec-82304-1-online-course/)