# Illinois CDL Test Prep vs CDL Exam Prep 2026

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CDL Exam Prep 2026 at 92% against Illinois CDL Test Prep's 38%. CDL Exam Prep 2026 also leads on price (Free vs $12.99) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 11 months). Illinois CDL Test Prep's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

CDL Exam Prep 2026 is free to download; Illinois CDL Test Prep costs $12.99 up front. Illinois CDL Test Prep sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and CDL Exam Prep 2026 sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CDL Exam Prep 2026 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CDL Exam Prep 2026 has 28K ratings behind it against 96, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Illinois CDL Test Prep's written reviews are positive against 92% of CDL Exam Prep 2026's.

Illinois CDL Test Prep ships an update every 11 months, CDL Exam Prep 2026 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Illinois CDL Test Prep | CDL Exam Prep 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/illinois-cdl-test-prep/id689963706/reviews) | **[4.9 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cdl-exam-prep-2026-practice/id1469003902/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 96 | **28K** |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | **91.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 37 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kelvin Beecroft](https://appshunter.io/developer/301291170) | [Thanh Hung](https://appshunter.io/developer/1059077329) |

## What reviewers say

### Illinois CDL Test Prep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/illinois-cdl-test-prep/id689963706)

Prepare for your Commercial Driver's License permit test with extensive practice questions and study materials. Learn at your own pace, even offline, and focus on the specific CDL class and endorsements you need. Includes the official manual and cheat sheets.

**Highlights:** Offline study capability, DMV-style practice quizzes, CDL class and endorsement focus, 580+ practice questions, Includes Illinois CDL Manual, Printable cheat sheets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Air Brakes Cheat Sheet | Free | one-time |
| Cargo Cheat Sheet | Free | one-time |
| Passenger Cheat Sheet | Free | one-time |
| School Bus Cheat Sheet | Free | one-time |


### CDL Exam Prep 2026

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cdl-exam-prep-2026-practice/id1469003902)

Prepare for your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) exam with realistic simulations, AI-powered explanations, and detailed progress tracking. Cover all knowledge areas and endorsements for states nationwide to pass your tests with confidence.

**Highlights:** Realistic CDL practice tests, AI-powered study assistant, Study by topic with detailed explanations, Custom and diagnostic tests, Progress tracking and analytics, Covers all endorsements and states

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CDL Subscription Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| CDL Subscription Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| CDL Quarterly Subscription | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| CDL Subscription Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| CDL Practice Test Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| CDL Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate to actual test questions
- 👍 Helpful explanations for correct/incorrect answers
- 🚀 Efficient for passing written tests
- 👍 Covers all necessary CDL topics
- 🚀 Guaranteed passing score

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some questions marked incorrectly
- 🐛 Occasional app freezing/crashing issues
- 🔍 Repetitive questions across sections
- 🔍 Not all learning styles supported

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription issues with repeated prompts
- Incorrect question grading in some cases

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- More interactive question formats
- Randomized practice tests
- Detailed performance analytics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Illinois CDL Test Prep free?

Illinois CDL Test Prep costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is CDL Exam Prep 2026 free?

CDL Exam Prep 2026 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Illinois CDL Test Prep or CDL Exam Prep 2026?

CDL Exam Prep 2026 is rated higher. Illinois CDL Test Prep averages 4.7 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while CDL Exam Prep 2026 averages 4.9 from 28K ratings.

### Do Illinois CDL Test Prep or CDL Exam Prep 2026 have ads?

CDL Exam Prep 2026 shows ads; Illinois CDL Test Prep does not.

### Which is updated more often, Illinois CDL Test Prep or CDL Exam Prep 2026?

Illinois CDL Test Prep ships an update every 11 months, and CDL Exam Prep 2026 every 6 weeks. Most recently, Illinois CDL Test Prep was updated on October 21, 2026 and CDL Exam Prep 2026 on October 22, 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.*