Comparison

DO Calcs Buddy 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

DO Calcs Buddy

This app helps firefighters and engineers perform hoseline calculations for training and certification. It offers customizable settings for specific departments and includes interactive study modes for various pump operator topics. The tool is designed for offline use and provides quick reference field topics.

Highlights
  • Hoseline Calculator with custom segments
  • Friction loss, PDP, GPM, Nozzle Reaction
  • Customizable hose and nozzle settings
  • Interactive study mode with randomized questions
  • Offline functionality
  • Quick reference field topics
Features
Read full description

DO Calcs Buddy is a customizable Driver/Operator pumping toolkit. Practice hoseline calculations, build hydraulic layouts, review essential concepts, and test your knowledge—all through a clean, visual interface designed for classroom study and non-emergency training. FEATURES: Visual Hydraulic Calculator / Simulator Build custom training layouts using engines, attack engines, hose segments, fog and smoothbore nozzles, wyes, manifolds, siamese connections, standpipes, foam eductors, monitors, hydrants, and master streams. Calculate required pump pressures while accounting for friction loss, appliance loss, elevation, flow, and nozzle pressure. Connect to a hydrant and watch the pressure gauges update in real-time to see how much you can theoretically flow in a situation. Pump Charts Create and organize your own quick-reference pump charts. Import and export individual charts as CSV files, or share complete chart collections using QR codes. Several ready-to-use default charts are also included. Custom Profiles Create apparatus- or department-specific profiles containing your own hoses, nozzles, appliances, coefficients, and preferred values. Save multiple profiles and quickly switch between department, apparatus, or training configurations. Easy QR Code Sharing Share profiles with students, instructors, and colleagues using QR codes. Scan a compatible QR code to import a profile without manually entering every setting. Interactive Study Mode Generate randomized multiple-choice questions using values from your selected profile. Choose one topic or combine multiple categories, including: • Handlines and master streams • Reduced hoselines • Fog and smoothbore nozzle reaction • Smoothbore GPM • Hydrant-flow methods • Relay pumping • Equal and unequal wye layouts • Manifolds and siamese connections • Deck-gun flow calculations Visual diagrams help you interpret each layout, and answer explanations reinforce the formulas and concepts behind the solution. Jump directly to a related reference topic when additional review is needed. Custom Charts Built-In Reference Library Review commonly taught Driver/Operator topics such as friction loss, hose coefficients, elevation pressure, smoothbore flow, nozzle reaction, hydrant flow, relay pumping, LDH, standpipes, siamese appliances, wyes, and manifolds. Offline Ready This app is designed as an offline educational tool. It is completely free, does not collect data, and does not request any permissions other than those necessary for functions like QR scanning. All core app features are completely functional without internet. Designed by a fire service Engineer and Driver/Operator Instructor as a flexible teaching, study, and classroom-training aid.

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

DO Calcs Buddy4 screens
First In Navigation4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DO Calcs Buddy at 100% against First In Navigation's 36%. DO Calcs Buddy also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). First In Navigation's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (18 vs 4). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. First In Navigation sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. DO Calcs Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DO Calcs Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of DO Calcs Buddy's written reviews are positive against 36% of First In Navigation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DO Calcs Buddy ships an update monthly, First In Navigation weekly. Both last shipped on October 9, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DO Calcs Buddy versus First In Navigation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDO Calcs BuddyFirst In Navigation
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (4 ratings) — better2.8 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better36.4% of reviews
Number of ratings418 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMax McCoyJoseph Graff

Customer experience

DO Calcs Buddy

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

First In Navigation

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

In-app purchases

None

DO Calcs Buddy

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

First In Navigation

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Membership$1.991 Month

Questions

Is DO Calcs Buddy free?
DO Calcs Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is First In Navigation free?
First In Navigation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DO Calcs Buddy or First In Navigation?
DO Calcs Buddy is rated higher. DO Calcs Buddy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while First In Navigation averages 2.8 from 18 ratings.
Do DO Calcs Buddy or First In Navigation have ads?
Neither DO Calcs Buddy nor First In Navigation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DO Calcs Buddy or First In Navigation?
DO Calcs Buddy ships an update monthly, and First In Navigation weekly. Most recently, DO Calcs Buddy was updated on October 9, 2026 and First In Navigation on October 9, 2026.

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