CMC Field Guide vs iSpyMobile
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.
iSpyMobile
This application provides first responders with live, constantly updating data and information crucial for emergency response success. It offers flexible technology for fire, police, and EMS agencies, delivering real-time call notifications, locations, and mapping.
- Call notification
- Call information
- Call location
- Map layers
- Address history
- Directions
- Apparatus-specific features
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Helping first responders help people. Getting you invaluable data, information, and details for first-response success. Flexible technology for all emergency-related agencies including fire, police, EMS, and more. All live streaming, constantly updating. An iSpyFire account is required to use this application. Features include: Call notification Call information Call location Map layers Address history Directions Responding Apparatus-specific features including AVL and personnel on board BATTERY CONSUMPTION Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. iSpyFire has been designed to use GPS and other sensors sparingly. The app relies on location data only while you are responding to a location or when you are attempting to create a new location (except when an apparatus is in AVL mode, in which case it is constantly checking).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CMC Field Guide at 77% against iSpyMobile's 32%. CMC Field Guide also leads on rating (4.0 vs 2.8) and monetization model (free vs freemium). iSpyMobile's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.
CMC Field Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of CMC Field Guide's written reviews are positive against 32% of iSpyMobile's.
CMC Field Guide ships an update every 3 months, iSpyMobile every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CMC Field Guide | iSpyMobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (24 ratings) — better | 2.8 (30 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.0% of reviews — better | 31.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24 | 30 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 15.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 376 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CMC Rescue, Inc. | iSpyFire, Inc. |
Customer experience
CMC Field Guide
iSpyMobile
User reviews
CMC Field Guide
From 24 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great resource for rescue
- 👍 Useful for knots
- 👍 Informative and well-organized
- 👍 Handy reference tool
- 👍 Clear illustrations
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Unable to access content after updates
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🐛 Poor display quality
- 🐛 Not working on iPad
iSpyMobile
From 30 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗺️ Excellent map overlay with multiple layers
- ⚡ Fast and snappy routing
- 📊 Reliable radio logs and unit times
- 🔄 Replaces CAD functionality effectively
- 👥 Responsive development team addressing issues
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and force closures
- ⏱️ Slow loading times for calls and information
- 🔔 Unreliable notification delivery
- 📵 Notifications bypass disable settings
- 🎨 Poor UI redesign in version 2.0
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
iSpyMobile
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes when opening native maps
- Notifications don't respect disable settings
- Closed calls not displaying despite toggle enabled
- Calls not loading or showing as zero calls
- App force closes when accessing notifications from lock screen
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- Inconsistent call alerts (sometimes missing, sometimes delayed)
- Settings reset after logout/login
- App logging out unexpectedly
- Buttons unresponsive in new UI
- App crashes when selecting response status
- Notification tone defaults to system sound instead of app selection
- Automatic updates overriding user disable settings
- Call information not populating for weeks
- Spinning loading circle indefinitely
- Interface appears different on each app open
- Delayed call notifications (5+ minutes late)
- Calls visible in alerts but not in app dashboard
- App won't load calls after receiving alert
Requested features
14 requests- Revert to previous app version design
- Adjustable text size controls
- Dark mode toggle option
- Google Maps integration option
- Persistent notification settings
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- Ability to disable notifications per shift
- Better closed call history access
- Improved map zoom defaults
- Agency-specific notification filtering
- Critical alert override for Do Not Disturb mode
- Swipe navigation controls
- Hydrant distance display
- Call plans section functionality
- Better CAD notes visibility
In-app purchases
CMC Field Guide
No in-app purchases
iSpyMobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CMC Field Guide free?
Is iSpyMobile free?
Which has better reviews, CMC Field Guide or iSpyMobile?
Do CMC Field Guide or iSpyMobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, CMC Field Guide or iSpyMobile?
Other comparisons
