Comparison

IFSTA Essentials 8 vs First In Navigation

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

Head to head
About

IFSTA Essentials 8

This educational app provides comprehensive study materials for aspiring firefighters based on the Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition manual. It offers exam preparation, interactive modules, flashcards, and skill videos to enhance learning and test knowledge.

Highlights
  • Exam Prep with 1,271 validated questions
  • Audiobook with offline access
  • Interactive learning modules
  • Flashcards for key terms
  • Tool and equipment identification
  • Skill videos for hands-on preparation
Features
Read full description

This IFSTA App supports the Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition. The Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition, Manual provides entry-level firefighter candidates with the basic information necessary to meet the job performance requirements (JPRs) in Chapter 6, Firefighter I and Chapter 7, Firefighter II of NFPA 1010, Standard on Professional Qualifications for Firefighters, 2024 Edition. Exam Prep: Use the 1,271 IFSTA®-validated Exam Prep questions to confirm your understanding of the content in the Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition, Manual. The Exam Prep covers all 23 chapters of the Manual. Exam Prep tracks and records your progress, allowing you to review your exams and study your weaknesses. In addition, your missed questions are automatically added to your study deck. This feature requires an in-app purchase and includes both Firefighter I and II. All users have free access to Firefighter I: Chapter 1. Audiobook: Purchase the Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition, Audiobook through this IFSTA App. All 23 chapters are narrated in their entirety for 18 hours of content. Features include offline access, bookmarks, and the ability to listen at your own speed. This feature requires an in-app purchase and includes both Firefighter I and II. All users have free access to Firefighter I: Chapter 1. Interactive: Access visually engaging, self-paced interactive modules covering the learning objectives in all 23 chapters of Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition: Firefighter I and II. Each module combines text, images, videos, interactivity and knowledge checks to enhance the learning experience. This feature requires an in-app purchase and includes both Firefighter I and II. All users have free access to Firefighter I: Chapter 1. Flashcards: Review all 605 key terms and definitions found in all 23 chapters between Essentials of Fire Fighting, 8th Edition: Firefighter I and II with Flashcards. Study selected chapters or combine the deck together. This feature is FREE for all users. Tool and Equipment Identification: Test your tool and equipment Identification knowledge with this feature, which includes 300 photo identification questions. This feature is FREE for all users. Skill Videos: Prepare for the hands-on portion of your class by watching Skill Videos. Download videos for offline use and view the steps for each skill. This feature is FREE for all users. This app covers the following topics: - Introduction to the Fire Service and Firefighter Safety - Operational Scene Safety and Management - Communications - Building Construction - Fire Dynamics - Firefighter Personal Protective Equipment - Portable Fire Extinguishers - Ropes and Knots - Ground Ladders - Forcible Entry - Structural Search and Rescue - Tactical Ventilation - Fire Hose, Hose Operations, and Hose Streams - Fire Suppression - Overhaul, Property Conservation, and Scene Preservation - First Aid Provider - Incident Scene Operations - Building Materials, Structural Collapse, and Effects of Fire Suppression - Technical Rescue Support and Vehicle Extrication Operations - Foam Fire Fighting, Liquid Fires, and Gas Fires - Fire Origin and Cause Determination - Maintenance and Testing Responsibilities - Community Risk Reduction

About

First In Navigation

This app helps first responders learn their response areas with interactive quizzes. It generates random calls within custom-drawn zones and provides optimal routes from stations or hospitals. Users can save and share maps, and access a database of community-created routes.

Highlights
  • Custom response area mapping
  • Randomized call generation
  • Route quizzing from stations/hospitals
  • Save and share custom maps
  • Community map database
  • Cross-platform account access
Features
Read full description

First In Navigation is a tool made specifically for first responders trying to memorize the streets in their response area. It has 3 seperate modes for EMS, Fire, and Law enforcement. With our app, you can outline your exact response area. The app will then randomly generate calls within the drawn border. The app will then quiz and demonstrate how to get to or from the call. Fire and law enforcement mode will let you enter in stations, and route / quiz you from there to the call. EMS mode will let you enter in hospitals, and route / quiz you from the call to the hospital. Once you have a map set up how you want, you can permanently save the map and upload it to our database! Our database also lets users search by map name, map location, and coworker name. While anyone can easily set up a map, you may not have to as long as a coworker has saved and published a map! All routing data is imported from Mapbox for accurate and widespread mapping data. While designed for active first reponders, First In Navigation is open to everyone. Meaning even if you are not hired yet, you can still study your future response area now to enter the workforce with confidence. This app is cross-platform, meaning if you have already made an account or submitted a map on our website, it will still be accessible here! Start now to work and drive with confidence! Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://firstinnavigation.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

IFSTA Essentials 84 screens
First In Navigation4 screens

Verdict

The call

IFSTA Essentials 8 and First In Navigation both sit at 2.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 36% of First In Navigation's written reviews are positive against 10% of IFSTA Essentials 8's. First In Navigation also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). IFSTA Essentials 8's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. IFSTA Essentials 8 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and First In Navigation sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.7 for IFSTA Essentials 8 against 2.8 for First In Navigation. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 18 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 10% of IFSTA Essentials 8's written reviews are positive against 36% of First In Navigation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IFSTA Essentials 8 ships an update every 6 weeks, First In Navigation weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
IFSTA Essentials 8 versus First In Navigation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIFSTA Essentials 8First In Navigation
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (27 ratings)2.8 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.0% of reviews36.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size224 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIFSTAJoseph Graff

Customer experience

IFSTA Essentials 8

All ratings27 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative55.6%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive10.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative70.0%

First In Navigation

All ratings18 ratings
Positive38.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral18.2%
Negative45.5%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

IFSTA Essentials 8

One-time3
  • Unlock all Exam Prep Chapters$19.99
  • Unlock all Interactive$25.00
  • Unlock all Audiobook Chapters$34.99
1 purchases

First In Navigation

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Membership$1.991 Month

Questions

Is IFSTA Essentials 8 free?
IFSTA Essentials 8 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is First In Navigation free?
First In Navigation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IFSTA Essentials 8 or First In Navigation?
First In Navigation is rated higher. IFSTA Essentials 8 averages 2.7 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while First In Navigation averages 2.8 from 18 ratings.
Do IFSTA Essentials 8 or First In Navigation have ads?
Neither IFSTA Essentials 8 nor First In Navigation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IFSTA Essentials 8 or First In Navigation?
IFSTA Essentials 8 ships an update every 6 weeks, and First In Navigation weekly. Most recently, IFSTA Essentials 8 was updated on October 15, 2026 and First In Navigation on October 9, 2026.

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