Comparison

Halm vs CDL Ace

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

Head to head
About

Halm

Learn German and English through engaging stories and adapted news articles. Tap any word for instant translation within the sentence context. Words you choose to keep are reviewed using an Spaced Repetition System.

Highlights
  • Read stories and news in German or English
  • Tap words for instant in-sentence translation
  • Spaced repetition for vocabulary review
  • Offline functionality
  • Privacy-focused with no account or analytics
  • Accessibility features
Features
Read full description

Read something you actually want to read — in German or English — and let the words stick. Halm turns short stories and adapted news into reading you can handle at your level. Tap any word to see what it means right here, in this sentence. Keep the ones worth keeping. EPISODES Multi-part stories set where you'd actually be: an apartment viewing, a doctor's waiting room, a Sunday at the lake. Each episode shares vocabulary across its parts, so words return on their own instead of being drilled. TAP ANY WORD Translation runs on your device. Halm reads the whole sentence, not the word alone. KEEP WHAT MATTERS You choose what enters review. Nothing is added behind your back. Kept words return on an FSRS schedule, and Halm shows you counts you can verify — never invented percentages. GERMAN AND ENGLISH Two full tracks. Pick one, or switch whenever you like. NO STREAKS Nothing to break, no leaderboard, no notification guilting you back. Read when you want to read. PRIVACY No account, no sign-up, no third-party analytics or advertising. Halm collects nothing automatically. ACCESSIBILITY VoiceOver throughout, Dynamic Type everywhere, Reduce Motion honored, and color never used as the only signal. Works offline. Requires iOS 26.

About

CDL Ace

Features
Read full description

Prepare for your commercial driver's license exam with guided lessons, realistic practice, clear explanations, and progress tracking in one account. STUDY IN 12 LANGUAGES Choose English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, French, Haitian Creole, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, or Punjabi. Supported lessons, questions, answer choices, explanations, and app controls follow your selected language. BUILD YOUR CDL PLAN Select your testing state, Class A, B, or C, and compatible endorsements including Air Brakes, Combination, Doubles/Triples, Tanker, HazMat, Passenger, and School Bus. PRACTICE WITH PURPOSE • Follow a guided handbook-based learning path • Take quick, category, and timed practice exams • Review an explanation after each answer • Focus on weak areas and track Estimated Readiness • Build XP, streaks, and milestone badges MOVE BETWEEN IPHONE, IPAD, AND WEB Sign in to keep your study plan, progress, history, and Premium access synced. Continue on iPhone, iPad, or getcdlace.com with the same account. CHECK OFFICIAL STATE RESOURCES Open official CDL manuals and agency resources for your testing state from inside CDL Ace. Official state and federal publications remain the final authority for test requirements and rules. STANDARD AND PREMIUM Standard includes a useful core study experience. CDL Ace Premium unlocks the full eligible question bank and lessons, unlimited Quick and category exams, selected endorsement content, harder practice sets, weak-area review, and detailed exam-history review. Premium is an auto-renewing monthly subscription; price and terms appear before purchase. Manage or cancel through the store where you subscribed. CDL Ace is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any DMV, state licensing agency, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Passing a practice test does not guarantee a passing official exam score. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Halm4 screens
CDL Ace4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Halm at none against CDL Ace's 1. CDL Ace's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.1). On price, update cadence, ads 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. CDL Ace sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Halm asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Halm ships an update every 4 weeks, CDL Ace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Halm versus CDL Ace: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHalmCDL Ace
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size488 MB33 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperTimofey LavrenyukJaret Priddy

In-app purchases

None

Halm

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

CDL Ace

Subscriptions1
  • CDL Ace Premium$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Halm free?
Halm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CDL Ace free?
CDL Ace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Halm or CDL Ace have ads?
Neither Halm nor CDL Ace shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Halm or CDL Ace?
Halm ships an update every 4 weeks, and CDL Ace fortnightly. Most recently, Halm was updated on August 18, 2026 and CDL Ace on September 25, 2026.

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