Comparison

StJohnsCO Alerting vs HCS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

StJohnsCO Alerting

This application provides advanced fire station alerting functionality for public safety answering points and fire/EMS facilities. It aims to reduce dispatch time and deliver critical information to first responders through tones and voice alerts. Optional add-ons and customization are available for enhanced field operations.

Highlights
  • State-of-the-art alerting functionality
  • Reliable dispatch for PSAPs and fire/EMS
  • Tones and voice alerts
  • Optional add-ons and customization
  • Companion mobile application
Read full description

Mach Alert is a full featured fire station alerting (FSA) solution designed to provide state of the art alerting functionality and reliability to public safety answering points (PSAP), fire and EMS facilities, and, with optional add-ons, to first responders in the field. Whether operating as a standalone system or via interface to a computer aided dispatch (CAD) product, Mach Alert is designed to minimize time spent dispatching at the 911 center and maximize the amount of critical information delivered to first responders when they need it most with tones, voice, and a robust catalog of add-ons and customization options. The Mach Alert Mobile Application is an optional companion for full Mach Alert FSA systems. Like functionality is only available with an associated services agreement.

About

HCS

Features
Read full description

*This app was made and intended for HCS-Hosted subscribers.* Tomorrow's features are available today, even on the go. The HCS mobile app gives your business or organization unparalleled voice, call, and feature quality from the convenience of your users' mobile devices. Backed by 911inform - HCS' phone service and mobile app provides safe and secure communications and emergency management tools. Features: - Calling - Messaging (Coming soon) - Public and Private Channels - Voicemails and Call History - Guaranteed Uptime - Guaranteed Call Quality - Threat Notification - Call Transcription and Notes (Coming soon) - LTE Local Survivability - RAY BAUM's Act Compliance - Kari's Law Compliance - Alyssa's Law Compliance - Calendar and Schedule Integration (Coming soon)

Screenshots

StJohnsCO Alerting4 screens
HCS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HCS at fortnightly against StJohnsCO Alerting's every 19 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StJohnsCO Alerting ships an update every 19 months, HCS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
StJohnsCO Alerting versus HCS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStJohnsCO AlertingHCS
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMach Alert Inc.911inform, LLC

In-app purchases

None

StJohnsCO Alerting

No in-app purchases

None

HCS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StJohnsCO Alerting free?
StJohnsCO Alerting is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HCS free?
HCS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do StJohnsCO Alerting or HCS have ads?
Neither StJohnsCO Alerting nor HCS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StJohnsCO Alerting or HCS?
StJohnsCO Alerting ships an update every 19 months, and HCS fortnightly. Most recently, StJohnsCO Alerting was updated on October 24, 2026 and HCS on October 25, 2026.

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