# Half Staff App vs Service First

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Half Staff App | Service First |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/half-staff-app/id628439682/reviews)** | [3.1 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/service-first-flag-alerts/id6747616299/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **98** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | **63.0% of reviews** | 54.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 49 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Jed Mahonis Group](https://appshunter.io/developer/534260260) | [Service First Flagpole](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833520097) |

## What reviewers say

### Half Staff App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/half-staff-app/id628439682)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full App Access | $1.99 | per month |
| Full App Access | $19.99 | per year |


### Service First

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/service-first-flag-alerts/id6747616299)

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.

**Highlights:** Half-staff alerts by state and nation, Weather-based flag lowering notifications, Calendar of upcoming observances, Location-based personalized updates, Flag etiquette guidance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Half Staff App free?

Half Staff App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Service First free?

Service First is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Half Staff App or Service First?

Half Staff App is rated higher. Half Staff App averages 3.4 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while Service First averages 3.1 from 21 ratings.

### Do Half Staff App or Service First have ads?

Service First shows ads; Half Staff App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Half Staff App or Service First?

Half Staff App ships an update every 11 months, and Service First every 2 weeks. Most recently, Half Staff App was updated on November 1, 2026 and Service First on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*