# HazMat Reference vs oCFR

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | HazMat Reference | oCFR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hazmat-reference/id385775821/reviews)** | [3.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocfr/id1228220888/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **95.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#44** | — |
| Size | 75 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ThatsMyStapler Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/337472637) | [Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration](https://appshunter.io/developer/954888820) |

## What reviewers say

### HazMat Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hazmat-reference/id385775821)

**Currently charting:** #44 Top Paid · Reference (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Excellent tool
- 🚀 Saves time
- 👍 Handy app
- 👍 User-friendly
- 👍 Great resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Closed unexpectedly
- 🐛 Outdated information
- 👎 Color of distance pages makes it unreadable
- 👎 User interface not great

**Reported bugs**

- Bulk packaging information part of CFR 49 won't load

**Requested features**

- Format for larger phones
- Ability to print guide or reference material


### oCFR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocfr/id1228220888)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*