Half Staff App vs Service First
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Half Staff App
This app sends push notifications to your iOS device, reminding you to set the American flag to half staff. It tracks presidential proclamations and pre-determined remembrance days. Users can request state-specific notifications.
- Push notifications for half staff days
- Tracks presidential proclamations
- Includes pre-determined remembrance days
- Reminders for Patriot Day, Memorial Day, etc.
- State-specific notification requests
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Never forget to set your flag to half staff again with the Half Staff App! Receive a push notification to your iOS device the night before the American flag needs to be at Half Staff. This simple app tracks when the President issues a half staff proclamation, as well as on pre-determined days such as Patriot Day, Memorial Day, Peace Officers Memorial Day and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Do you want notifications by state? Leave a review with your state, and we'll add states based on the most reviews! Terms and Conditions found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Service First
Receive timely alerts for federal and state half-staff observances, and get weather-based notifications for high winds or storms. This app assists homeowners, businesses, schools, and organizations in maintaining flag etiquette and safety with personalized updates.
- Half-staff alerts by state and nation
- Weather-based flag lowering notifications
- Calendar of upcoming observances
- Location-based personalized updates
- Flag etiquette guidance
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Service First: Flag Alerts helps you honor important days and protect your flags with timely notifications. Get alerts for federal and state half-staff observances, plus weather-based reminders when high winds or storms are approaching. Whether you're a homeowner, business, school, or veteran organization, this app helps you stay on top of flag etiquette and safety — all in one place. Features: • Half-staff alerts by state and nation • Weather-based flag lowering notifications • Simple calendar to track upcoming observances • Location-based support for personalized updates Disclaimer: This app is not affiliated with any government agency and does not represent or provide government services. All flag-related information is based on publicly available sources.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Service First at none against Half Staff App's 2. Service First also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Half Staff App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (3.4 vs 3.1). On price 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
Both are free to download. Half Staff App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Service First asks for nothing beyond the download.
Half Staff App holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 98 and 21 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Half Staff App's written reviews are positive against 55% of Service First's.
Half Staff App ships an update every 11 months, Service First every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Half Staff App | Service First |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (98 ratings) — better | 3.1 (21 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews — better | 54.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 98 — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Jed Mahonis Group | Service First Flagpole |
Customer experience
Half Staff App
Service First
In-app purchases
Half Staff App
- Full App Access3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Full App Access3 Days trial$19.991 Year
Service First
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Half Staff App free?
Is Service First free?
Which has better reviews, Half Staff App or Service First?
Do Half Staff App or Service First have ads?
Which is updated more often, Half Staff App or Service First?
Other comparisons
