# AskRail vs FAST

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AskRail at 58% against FAST's 0%. AskRail also leads on ratings volume (37 vs 3). FAST's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.1) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

FAST holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AskRail has 37 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of AskRail's written reviews are positive against 0% of FAST's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

AskRail ships an update every 4 months, FAST every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AskRail | FAST |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/askrail/id1142325064/reviews) | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fast-act/id1446010360/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **58.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 44 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Association of American Railroads](https://appshunter.io/developer/1142325063) | [Timilon Technology Acquisitions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1446010359) |

## 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


### FAST

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fast-act/id1446010360)

This app serves as a guide for HAZMAT professionals on how a specific decontamination agent interacts with and neutralizes various chemicals. It features a comprehensive chemical threat index, detailing efficacy on vapor releases and contaminated surfaces, with search and sort functionalities.

**Highlights:** Extensive chemical threat index, FAST-ACT efficacy details, Vapor release decontamination, Contaminated surface decontamination, Search by Chemical Name, Sort by CAS Number

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AskRail free?

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

### Is FAST free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AskRail or FAST?

FAST is rated higher. AskRail averages 4.1 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while FAST averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do AskRail or FAST have ads?

Neither AskRail nor FAST shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AskRail or FAST?

AskRail ships an update every 4 months, and FAST every 7 months. Most recently, AskRail was updated on October 3, 2026 and FAST on September 17, 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.*