CMC Field Guide vs SHO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CMC Field Guide
Access rope rescue and access diagrams, reference charts, and how-to information instantly in the field. This free app provides essential rescue references, allows for note-taking, and supports offline access to downloaded content.
- Rope rescue and access diagrams
- Reference charts
- How-to information
- Bookmark and take notes
- Offline access to downloads
- Browse equipment and tutorials
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This free App allows quick access to rope rescue and access diagrams, reference charts, how-to information, and rescue references, all from the palm of your hand while out in the field. It's packed with reference charts, diagrams, and how-to information. With the CMC Field Guide App you can: Access rescue references instantly Bookmark and take notes on your favorite sections Download videos, guides, and manuals for offline use Browse equipment and information, tutorials, and product user manuals **Note** Updating this App will give you access to all of the functionality built into the most recent version of the App. Your saved information including Notes, References, and Attachments, will be carried through into the updated version.
SHO
This app assists firefighters in calculating water flow rates, pump discharge pressures, and nozzle reactions. It can be used with a Bluetooth flow meter or as a standalone calculator with established fire flow formulas. Educational videos on water flow are also included.
- Calculate fire hose flow rates
- Determine pump discharge pressures
- Calculate nozzle reaction
- Perform NFPA 1962 nozzle flow tests
- Standalone water flow calculator
- Water flow education videos
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The SHO-FLOW app is a dual featured application that can be used with or without a TFT SHO-FLOW® Bluetooth® flow meter. When used in conjunction with a SHO-FLOW, users can determine actual flow rates for fire hose lines and nozzles as well as calculate true Pump Discharge Pressures (PDP), Nozzle Reaction, and Hose Friction. In addition an NFPA 1962 nozzle flow test can be performed. As a stand-alone water flow calculator, many of these functions can be performed using established fire flow formulas. The app also includes water flow education videos and recommendations for target fire flows when using water or foam. The TFT SHO-FLOW flow meter is designed to quickly determine flow rates present in a fire hose line and wirelessly transmit the rate to a nearby smart device. Any firefighting, training, or testing operation that utilizes hose lines or nozzles is a potential application. Please read the manual before operation. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Task Force Tips, LLC is under license.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CMC Field Guide at 78% against SHO's 0%. SHO's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 4.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SHO holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of CMC Field Guide's written reviews are positive against 0% of SHO's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
CMC Field Guide ships an update every 3 months, SHO every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CMC Field Guide | SHO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (24 ratings) | 4.2 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 14.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 145 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CMC Rescue, Inc. | Task Force Tips |
Customer experience
CMC Field Guide
SHO
Bugs and requests
CMC Field Guide
Reported bugs
15 issues- App crashes before it opens
- Unable to go beyond the first page
- Unable to access after updating
- App crashed twice
- Some links in the app don't work
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- Multiple glitches where pages cannot be opened
- Cannot open the app after update
- New upgrade crashes on opening items
- Could not find page all the time
- App doesn't open
- Half the tabs disappear
- Barely works (can rarely get into any of the pages)
- Add-on pop up when viewing PDF
- Poor display quality - not useful for reading
- Only M/A illustration shown is 1:1 after update
Requested features
2 requests- Enable landscape mode
- Update with latest techniques
SHO
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CMC Field Guide
No in-app purchases
SHO
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CMC Field Guide free?
Is SHO free?
Which has better reviews, CMC Field Guide or SHO?
Do CMC Field Guide or SHO have ads?
Which is updated more often, CMC Field Guide or SHO?
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