# AskRail vs NPMS Public Viewer

AskRail and NPMS Public Viewer both sit at 4.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 58% of AskRail's written reviews are positive against 40% of NPMS Public Viewer's. AskRail also leads on ratings volume (37 vs 4). NPMS Public Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for AskRail against 4.0 for NPMS Public Viewer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AskRail has 37 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of AskRail's written reviews are positive against 40% of NPMS Public Viewer's.

AskRail ships an update every 4 months, NPMS Public Viewer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AskRail | NPMS Public Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/askrail/id1142325064/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/npms-public-viewer/id1232277603/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **58.3% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 44 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Association of American Railroads](https://appshunter.io/developer/1142325063) | [Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration](https://appshunter.io/developer/954888820) |

## What reviewers say

### AskRail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/askrail/id1142325064)

This app provides hazardous materials safety information for first responders dealing with rail incidents. It allows authorized personnel to query railcar contents and offers critical data for emergency response. Access to advanced features requires verification and railroad sponsorship.

**Highlights:** Hazardous materials safety information, Rail incident support, Query railcar contents, Emergency response data, First responder tool

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### NPMS Public Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/npms-public-viewer/id1232277603)

View maps of hazardous liquid and gas transmission pipelines. Discover pipeline operators, the materials they transport, and contact information. Locate pipelines by county, offshore area, or proximity to your current location.

**Highlights:** Hazardous pipeline maps, Operator identification, Material transported details, Contact information, Location-based search, County and offshore area selection

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AskRail free?

AskRail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NPMS Public Viewer free?

NPMS Public Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AskRail or NPMS Public Viewer?

AskRail is rated higher. AskRail averages 4.1 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while NPMS Public Viewer averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do AskRail or NPMS Public Viewer have ads?

Neither AskRail nor NPMS Public Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AskRail or NPMS Public Viewer?

AskRail ships an update every 4 months, and NPMS Public Viewer every 2 months. Most recently, AskRail was updated on October 29, 2026 and NPMS Public Viewer on October 16, 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.*