# Firefighter Academy vs IFSTA Essentials 7

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Firefighter Academy at 92% against IFSTA Essentials 7's 30%. Firefighter Academy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). IFSTA Essentials 7's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (4.6 vs 3.9). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

IFSTA Essentials 7 is free to download; Firefighter Academy costs $2.99 up front. IFSTA Essentials 7 sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Firefighter Academy asks for nothing beyond the download.

IFSTA Essentials 7 holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IFSTA Essentials 7 has 1.8K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of Firefighter Academy's written reviews are positive against 30% of IFSTA Essentials 7's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Firefighter Academy ships an update every 5 months, IFSTA Essentials 7 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Firefighter Academy | IFSTA Essentials 7 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firefighter-academy/id416443996/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ifsta-essentials-7/id1441449622/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.7% of reviews** | 30.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 5 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Peakview Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/316120862) | [IFSTA](https://appshunter.io/developer/495289396) |

## What reviewers say

### Firefighter Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/firefighter-academy/id416443996)

Prepare for firefighter certification exams or refresh your knowledge with an interactive study guide. Features over a thousand questions, including Hazmat Ops, with explanations and illustrations. Track your progress and compete with friends.

**Highlights:** Over 1000 practice questions, Interactive quiz format, Explanations and illustrations, Searchable content, Progress tracking, Game Center integration, Bookmark and review missed questions

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### IFSTA Essentials 7

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ifsta-essentials-7/id1441449622)

This app provides comprehensive study materials for firefighter training, including videos, flashcards, and exam preparation. It covers essential firefighting knowledge and skills, meeting NFPA standards. Access free introductory content and unlock full features with in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Skills Videos, Tool Identification, Flashcards, Exam Prep, Interactive Course, Audiobook

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Video Downloads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all Exam Prep Chapters | $19.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Course Chapters | $24.99 | one-time |
| Unlock all Audiobook Chapters | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great resource
- 👍 Helpful study tool
- 🚀 Interactive app
- 🚀 Passed the fire academy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Reset purchases, cannot restore
- 🐛 Stole my Money
- 🐛 Audiobook won't play
- 🐛 Courses Feature messed up by last update
- 🐛 Audio books don't load

**Reported bugs**

- Purchase didn't go through
- Courses don't work
- Audiobook doesn't work
- Can't log in after device change
- Exam prep not working

**Requested features**

- Sign up to access content on multiple devices
- Sync exam progress and study decks across devices
- Flash cards with questions and answers
- Ability to sync purchases between devices
- Ability to use on MacBook


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Firefighter Academy free?

Firefighter Academy costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is IFSTA Essentials 7 free?

IFSTA Essentials 7 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Firefighter Academy or IFSTA Essentials 7?

IFSTA Essentials 7 is rated higher. Firefighter Academy averages 3.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while IFSTA Essentials 7 averages 4.6 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Firefighter Academy or IFSTA Essentials 7 have ads?

Neither Firefighter Academy nor IFSTA Essentials 7 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Firefighter Academy or IFSTA Essentials 7?

Firefighter Academy ships an update every 5 months, and IFSTA Essentials 7 monthly. Most recently, Firefighter Academy was updated on October 23, 2026 and IFSTA Essentials 7 on October 21, 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.*