Comparison

HazMat Reference vs oCFR

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

Head to head
About

HazMat Reference

Quickly access critical information on hazardous materials for handling, storage, and incident response. Features include advanced search, sorting, and filtering of materials from key regulatory tables and guides. Offline access ensures availability in any situation.

Highlights
  • ERG 2024 data
  • NIOSH, CFR/HMT, NFPA, GHS information
  • Advanced search, sort, and filter
  • Offline access
  • NFPA Fire Diamond
  • Physical descriptions and CAS#
  • DOT incident data filter
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Your best quick reference for hazardous materials. Includes: NIOSH, CFR/HMT, NFPA, GHS, CAMEO information. This app serves as a quick reference and educational tool for employees that are involved with the regular handling and storage or incident response of Hazardous Materials. Materials from the Hazardous Material Table (HMT) and Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) are listed in easy to review form with advanced search, sort, and filter capabilities. Pertinent information from the HMT, ERG, NIOSH and other sources are listed with the proper placard and hazard class for each material. The Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) 49 CFR §172.101 is a list of hazardous materials by proper shipping name that governs the transportation, marking and labeling by all modes: air, water, rail, and highway. Understanding and knowing how to use information in the HMT is the first step toward compliance. The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) is primarily a guide to aid first responders in quickly identifying the specific or generic hazards of the material(s) involved in the incident, and protecting themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident. The ERG is updated and released every 4 years by the D.O.T. No internet connection required. Find materials by name or UN Identifier. Includes information from all tables and reference pages in the ERG. Additional Features: * Filter/Sort Materials with DOT Reported Incidents in the last 12 months * History of materials - most recent or most viewed * NFPA Fire Diamond: quick visual ref for Health, Fire, Reactivity, and other hazards * Physical descriptions for most chemicals * CAS#, RTECS# with NIOSH IDLH and exposure information * Quicksort by UN ID#, guide #, name or number of incidents

About

oCFR

Access U.S. federal regulations for the safe transportation of hazardous materials and pipeline safety. Covers regulations for classifying, handling, and packaging materials by various transport modes, as well as pipeline facility safety standards.

Highlights
  • Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR)
  • Pipeline Safety Regulations
  • 49 CFR Parts 100-180
  • 49 CFR Parts 190-199
  • Covers highway, rail, aircraft, and vessel transport
  • Includes design, construction, operation, and maintenance standards
Features
Read full description

The U.S. DOT. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) mission is to protect people and the environment by advancing the safe transportation of energy and other hazardous materials that are essential to our daily lives. This app provides online access to PHMSA’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) in 49 CFR parts 100-180 for the classifying, handling and packaging of hazardous materials by highway, rail, aircraft, and vessel. This app also provides online access to PHMSA’s Pipeline Safety Regulations in 49 CFR parts 190-199, which provide the Federal minimum safety standards for the design, construction, operation and maintenance, and spill response planning for pipeline and LNG facilities involved in the transportation of natural gas and hazardous liquids within the United States.

Screenshots

HazMat Reference4 screens
oCFR4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HazMat Reference at 96% against oCFR's 50%. HazMat Reference also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 9). oCFR's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On update cadence, 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

oCFR is free to download; HazMat Reference costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HazMat Reference holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HazMat Reference has 1.7K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of HazMat Reference's written reviews are positive against 50% of oCFR's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HazMat Reference ships an update every 4 months, oCFR every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
HazMat Reference versus oCFR: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHazMat ReferenceoCFR
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.7K ratings) — better3.7 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews95.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.7K — better9
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#81 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB70 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperThatsMyStapler Inc.Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Customer experience

HazMat Reference

All ratings1,723 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative1.8%

oCFR

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

HazMat Reference

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Bulk packaging information part of CFR 49 won't load

Requested features

2 requests
  • Format for larger phones
  • Ability to print guide or reference material

oCFR

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

HazMat Reference

No in-app purchases

None

oCFR

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HazMat Reference free?
HazMat Reference costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is oCFR free?
oCFR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, HazMat Reference or oCFR?
HazMat Reference is rated higher. HazMat Reference averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while oCFR averages 3.7 from 9 ratings.
Do HazMat Reference or oCFR have ads?
Neither HazMat Reference nor oCFR shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HazMat Reference or oCFR?
HazMat Reference ships an update every 4 months, and oCFR every 6 months. Most recently, HazMat Reference was updated on September 25, 2026 and oCFR on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons