SambaSafety vs CDL Direct Course
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SambaSafety
Access and complete assigned training courses and lesson assignments. Progress is synchronized across web and mobile, ensuring you never lose your place. Requires a company-enabled SambaSafety account to log in.
- Access assigned training courses
- Synchronized progress across devices
- Push notifications for assignments
- Comprehensive course library
- Starts, progress, and completions recorded
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NOTE: Your company MUST have a SambaSafety account enabled for you to log in to the SambaSafety App Welcome to the SambaSafety mobile app. This app will let you access and complete your training courses and lesson assignments. You'll never lose your progress. If you start a lesson in the SambaSafety mobile app, you can finish it on a web browser - or vice-versa. You'll always be taken to the furthest "page" you've completed in a course no matter where you log in. You must have a SambaSafety account enabled by your company. Talk to your manager to make sure you have the correct login and company ID. You must also have Internet access during playback. SAMBASAFETY APP FEATURES • A comprehensive library featuring hundreds of online courses for training every skill level, vehicle and driver type • Access to your assigned courses • Push notifications for new lesson assignments and reminders • Auto-logout after 1-hour of idling • Once logged in, you're never more than two clicks from starting a lesson • Never lose your place — progress is synchronized across the web and mobile app • Starts, progress, and completions are recorded and time-stamped • Internet access is required — data rates may apply • Lessons will stream/buffer, not download for later viewing * The app will warn you if an assigned course is not available on a mobile device. If that is the case, you'll need to complete it via a standard web browser, like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Explorer/Edge.
CDL Direct Course
This FMCSA-approved course fulfills the Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirement for obtaining a Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Complete all mandated theory training online, anytime, anywhere, and have your results instantly submitted to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry.
- FMCSA-approved ELDT
- Online course completion
- Instant FMCSA registry submission
- Accessible on any device
- Flexible scheduling
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FMCSA-APPROVED CDL ENTRY LEVEL DRIVER TRAINING (ELDT) Individuals who obtain a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) on or after February 7, 2022 will need to complete this course before they will be permitted to take their CDL skills or knowledge test. Upon completion of this course the results will instantly be submitted to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Prior to providing any testing services CDL testing centers will retrieve these results from the FMCSA Training Provider Registry to confirm that the student has completed the required ELDT theory training. This course covers all units for ELDT as mandated by the FMCSA. Follow the steps below to begin your journey to a new career. 1. Register For The Course - Registration is simple and only takes a few minutes. You can begin the course immediately after registration. No classrooms, no lines. 2. Begin The Course - The course can be taken from any device, any place, anytime. We keep track of your progress. All you have to do is login and complete each section of the course when it fits your schedule. 3. Complete The Course - The moment you complete the course we report the completion to the Federal Registry. You can then begin the behind-the-wheel training.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CDL Direct Course at 81% against SambaSafety's 9%. CDL Direct Course also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 21). SambaSafety's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. CDL Direct Course sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SambaSafety asks for nothing beyond the download.
CDL Direct Course holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CDL Direct Course has 1.9K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of SambaSafety's written reviews are positive against 81% of CDL Direct Course's.
SambaSafety ships an update every 3 months, CDL Direct Course every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SambaSafety | CDL Direct Course |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (21 ratings) | 4.9 (1.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 9.1% of reviews | 80.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 21 | 1.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 73 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Instructional Technologies, Inc. | CDL Direct |
Customer experience
SambaSafety
CDL Direct Course
Bugs and requests
SambaSafety
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
CDL Direct Course
Reported bugs
2 issues- No record of completion at DMV
- Unable to create account
Requested features
2 requests- Ability to enlarge text
- Option to use audio
In-app purchases
SambaSafety
No in-app purchases
CDL Direct Course
- Class A CDL Course - Ages 18+$399.99
- Class B CDL Course - Ages 18+$399.99
- B to A CDL Upgrade - Ages 18+$399.99
Questions
Is SambaSafety free?
Is CDL Direct Course free?
Which has better reviews, SambaSafety or CDL Direct Course?
Do SambaSafety or CDL Direct Course have ads?
Which is updated more often, SambaSafety or CDL Direct Course?
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