Halm vs CDL Ace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
CDL Ace
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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.
Halm ships an update every 4 weeks, CDL Ace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Halm | CDL Ace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 488 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Timofey Lavrenyuk | Jaret Priddy |
In-app purchases
Halm
No in-app purchases
CDL Ace
- CDL Ace Premium$4.991 Month





