# SambaSafety vs CDL Direct Course

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | SambaSafety | CDL Direct Course |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sambasafety/id1279493345/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cdl-direct-course/id1614714939/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **1.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 9.1% of reviews | **80.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 73 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Instructional Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279493344) | [CDL Direct](https://appshunter.io/developer/1614714941) |

## What reviewers say

### SambaSafety

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sambasafety/id1279493345)

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.

**Highlights:** Access assigned training courses, Synchronized progress across devices, Push notifications for assignments, Comprehensive course library, Starts, progress, and completions recorded

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### CDL Direct Course

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cdl-direct-course/id1614714939)

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.

**Highlights:** FMCSA-approved ELDT, Online course completion, Instant FMCSA registry submission, Accessible on any device, Flexible scheduling

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Class A CDL Course - Ages 18+ | $399.99 | one-time |
| Class B CDL Course - Ages 18+ | $399.99 | one-time |
| B to A CDL Upgrade - Ages 18+ | $399.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Affordable price
- 🤖 Easy to use and follow
- 🎓 Informative and helpful content
- ⏱️ Convenient self-paced learning
- 👍 Satisfied users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Audio issues
- 🔍 Small text that is hard to read

**Reported bugs**

- No record of completion at DMV
- Unable to create account

**Requested features**

- Ability to enlarge text
- Option to use audio


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SambaSafety free?

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

### Is CDL Direct Course free?

CDL Direct Course is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SambaSafety or CDL Direct Course?

CDL Direct Course is rated higher. SambaSafety averages 2.7 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while CDL Direct Course averages 4.9 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do SambaSafety or CDL Direct Course have ads?

Neither SambaSafety nor CDL Direct Course shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SambaSafety or CDL Direct Course?

SambaSafety ships an update every 3 months, and CDL Direct Course every 2 months. Most recently, SambaSafety was updated on October 24, 2026 and CDL Direct Course on October 22, 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.*