CMC Field Guide vs Bryx Mobile
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.
Bryx Mobile
This app enhances communication and situational awareness for first responders. It delivers critical alerts with scene details, routing, and navigation, while also offering features like hydrant information, past call data, and real-time messaging.
- Real-time alerts from CAD
- Routing and navigation tools
- Hydrant information
- Past call data
- Site survey data attachment
- Live location updates
- Internet dispatch radio streams
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Bryx Mobile is a free mobile alerting and messaging app that provides enhanced communications and situational awareness for first responders. Receiving data directly from the CAD, Bryx Mobile sends alerts to mobile devices, providing priority information about the scene along with routing and navigation tools. The app boasts industry-leading speed, content, and ease of use, and is completely free for first responders serving communities around the world. Bryx Mobile is packed with features that empower you and your team, before and at the scene. • View hydrants around the job, color-coded for flow rate and condition. • Quickly view job information for prior calls to the same address. • Attach site survey data to include entry access and hazardous materials information. • Enhance team communication through real-time messaging and live location updates for users. • View the exact job location within your district and a highlighted route from your station to the scene. • Enable dispatching by agency or unit and view supplemental updates from CAD in real time - all without creating any extra work for dispatchers. • Configure internet dispatch radio streams and play them directly from Bryx Mobile. Some hardware required. • Bryx Mobile’s first-in-class engineering is backed by dedicated, round-the-clock support from the same engineers who built the system. This app is only intended to be used by first responders, and your station chief must add users to the approved access list. Note: This app may use background audio streaming. Continued use of audio streaming running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Bryx, Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CMC Field Guide at 78% against Bryx Mobile's 49%. CMC Field Guide also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.2). Bryx Mobile's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Bryx Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bryx Mobile has 282 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of CMC Field Guide's written reviews are positive against 49% of Bryx Mobile'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, Bryx Mobile fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.
| Parameter | CMC Field Guide | Bryx Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (24 ratings) | 4.2 (282 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better | 48.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 24 | 282 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | CMC Rescue, Inc. | Bryx |
Customer experience
CMC Field Guide
Bryx Mobile
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
Bryx Mobile
From 282 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent UI and interface
- 🚀 Quick access to duty status
- 👍 Great app for FD notifications
- 👍 Awesome app for FD and EMS
- 👍 Works well and is functional
Room to improve
- 🐛 Delays in receiving information
- 🐛 No real-time information for events
- 🐛 Scanner feature only works when app is open
- 🐛 Awful support
- 🐛 UI/alerts are half broken
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
Bryx Mobile
Reported bugs
6 issues- Scanner feature only works when app is left open
- App mutes phone when open, pausing audio
- App crashes when opened, then fine after restart
- Removed from Apple CarPlay in newest update
- Stopped getting alerts and notifications on iPhone
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- Map doesn't always work or is not accurate
Requested features
10 requests- Navigation options for apps to use
- Notes with time stamps and updates for call to see while enroute
- Apple Watch integration
- Easy in and out of duty feature (long press, shortcut, action button, widget)
- Settings stored in iCloud
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- Set alert tone by unit rather than call type
- Ability to upload custom alert tones
- Toggle critical alerts inside the app
- Filter calls by unit, especially at night
- CarPlay functionality improvements
In-app purchases
CMC Field Guide
No in-app purchases
Bryx Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CMC Field Guide free?
Is Bryx Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, CMC Field Guide or Bryx Mobile?
Do CMC Field Guide or Bryx Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, CMC Field Guide or Bryx Mobile?
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