Comparison

CDC vs FluStar

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CDC

Access the latest health information and news directly from the official source. Organize your home screen to prioritize what matters most and receive real-time updates. Explore a variety of content including disease data, videos, podcasts, and journal articles.

Highlights
  • Up-to-date health information
  • Customizable home screen
  • Disease case counts
  • Videos and podcasts
  • Journal articles
  • Searchable web content
Features
Read full description

Get the official CDC Mobile application to access the most up to date health information. FILTERING OPTIONS Organize your home screen so that the information that’s most important to you appears first! Turn off the content you don’t want with just a flip of a switch and reset it all with the tap of a button. CONTENT The app ensures that you’re getting the most up to date health information. The home screen lets you see all your information in one place and updates whenever your device is connected to WI-FI. Enjoy a greater variety of content such as Image of the Week, disease case counts, videos, and podcasts to give you the most current health information from CDC. Browse the latest articles, stay on top of health news in the Newsroom section, and view CDC Images of the Week. If you’re a journal reader, view the latest Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, Emerging and Infectious Disease journal, or the latest on Preventing Chronic Diseases. You can even search CDC’s web content from the app. We'd love to hear your thoughts about the app! Rate the CDC Mobile App in the App Store or leave a comment to let us know how we're doing. You can even send us an email through the app if you have suggestions for improvements! DISCLAIMER THE MATERIALS EMBODIED IN THIS SOFTWARE ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED, IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) OR THE UNITED STATES (U.S.) GOVERNMENT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFIT, LOSS OF USE, SAVINGS OR REVENUE, OR THE CLAIMS OF THIRD PARTIES, WHETHER OR NOT CDC OR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS, HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE POSSESSION, USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

About

FluStar

Track current cold and flu activity by ZIP code across the US. Get information on influenza symptoms, past epidemics, and how to differentiate between a cold and the flu.

Highlights
  • Real-time flu activity by ZIP code
  • Cold and flu symptom information
  • Educational content on influenza
  • Data on past flu epidemics
  • Distinguish between cold and flu
Features
Read full description

FluSTAR provides up to date cold and flu activity information for every ZIP code in the country. If you're like most people -- catching the flu virus is something you'd rather NOT do. And if you have already come down with the flu, FluSTAR.com will provide you with information on how to help alleviate some of the symptoms caused by the influenza virus. FluSTAR.com can educate you about the Influenza virus, past flu epidemics as well as flu activity in every zip code in the United States. You will also see information on the difference between a cold and the flu. The FluSTAR system was developed to provide health care professionals and consumers with the most up to date information on the spread of the flu during the influenza season. Data for FluSTAR is gathered from different surveillance methods including RaPID Assay data, laboratory confirmation and clinical diagnosis data. Based on all of the surveillance methods, a regional as well as a national picture on influenza activity is generated.

Screenshots

CDC4 screens
FluStar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CDC at 2.9 against FluStar's 2.3. CDC also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (22% vs 0%). FluStar's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CDC holds the better App Store score, 2.9 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CDC has 413 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of CDC's written reviews are positive against 0% of FluStar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CDC ships an update monthly, FluStar fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and July 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
CDC versus FluStar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCDCFluStar
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (413 ratings) — better2.3 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews22.5% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings413 — better13
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB22 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCenters For Disease Control and PreventionIQVIA Inc.

Customer experience

CDC

All ratings413 ratings
Positive45.0%
Neutral5.6%
Negative49.4%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive22.5%
Neutral10.1%
Negative67.4%

FluStar

All ratings13 ratings
Positive30.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative69.2%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

CDC

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Links within articles not working
  • App freezing or not loading past the splash screen
  • Symptom checker and other features not functioning properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved contact tracing tools
  • More up-to-date and comprehensive disease data
  • Better integration with other health apps and platforms
  • Landscape mode support for tablets

FluStar

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CDC

No in-app purchases

None

FluStar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CDC free?
CDC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FluStar free?
FluStar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CDC or FluStar?
CDC is rated higher. CDC averages 2.9 out of 5 from 413 ratings, while FluStar averages 2.3 from 13 ratings.
Do CDC or FluStar have ads?
FluStar shows ads; CDC does not.
Which is updated more often, CDC or FluStar?
CDC ships an update monthly, and FluStar fortnightly. Most recently, CDC was updated on September 15, 2026 and FluStar on July 21, 2026.

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