Southwinds HOS vs ELD Rider
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Southwinds HOS
This app helps commercial drivers accurately record their duty status to comply with federal regulations. It tracks driving hours, breaks, and other essential information, ensuring adherence to rules like the 11-hour driving limit and 30-minute breaks. The system automatically records location and warns of malfunctions.
- Driver duty status recording
- Compliance with HOS regulations
- Location tracking
- Malfunction warnings
- Driver and carrier record edits
- Self-testing functionality
Read full descriptionHide full description
Compliant app to record driver duty status and meet the following regulations: -60h/7days or 70h/8days Rules -34 week restart with latest suspension of two periods 1-5am -11h daily -14h onduty (daily) -Sleeper Berth -Passenger Seat provision -Personal Conveyance -30 minutes break -Location recording for engine on and off, and every 60 minutes if moving -Mobile device permits duty status changes only when the vehicle is at rest -Warns driver,visually and/or audibly of any malfunction -When the truck is stationary for 5 minutes or more, it will default to on-duty not driving and the driver must enter the proper status -The device (ELD) performs self-test, as well as a self-test at any point upon request of an authorized safety assurance official. Allows for driver and carrier record edits as well as unauthenticated operation.
ELD Rider
This app provides electronic logging for Hours of Service (HOS) and ELD compliance. It also offers digital Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs) and real-time routing information to help drivers stay on track and compliant with regulations.
- Electronic logbook for HOS
- ELD compliance
- Digital DVIRs
- Real-time routing
- Intuitive interface
- FMCSA regulation compliance
Read full descriptionHide full description
More than an electronic logbook for HOS and ELD compliance. Eliminate paper DVIRs with all-digital inspection reports, stay on track with real-time routing information. EASY TO USE Drivers love our app because we put them first with large buttons, helpful alerts, and an intuitive interface. Most functions are just one or two taps away at any time! The ELD mandate is complicated, but we’re always working to make it simple for drivers to stay compliant with FMCSA regulations! Enhanced Performance & Design: We’re constantly looking for ways to make our app faster and easier to use. We’ve made a number of performance improvements to reduce transition time between screens, maintain app stability, and improve legibility. Learn more about the ELD solution at https://eldrider.us
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Southwinds HOS at 5.0 against ELD Rider's 4.2. ELD Rider's advantage is ratings volume (123 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Southwinds HOS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ELD Rider has 123 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Southwinds HOS ships an update every 3 months, ELD Rider every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Southwinds HOS | ELD Rider |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.2 (123 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 56.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 123 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SouthWindsGPS | LionEight LLC |
Customer experience
Southwinds HOS
ELD Rider
In-app purchases
Southwinds HOS
No in-app purchases
ELD Rider
No in-app purchases
