iSpyMobile vs MAGE by NGA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iSpyMobile
This application provides first responders with live, constantly updating data and information crucial for emergency response success. It offers flexible technology for fire, police, and EMS agencies, delivering real-time call notifications, locations, and mapping.
- Call notification
- Call information
- Call location
- Map layers
- Address history
- Directions
- Apparatus-specific features
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Helping first responders help people. Getting you invaluable data, information, and details for first-response success. Flexible technology for all emergency-related agencies including fire, police, EMS, and more. All live streaming, constantly updating. An iSpyFire account is required to use this application. Features include: Call notification Call information Call location Map layers Address history Directions Responding Apparatus-specific features including AVL and personnel on board BATTERY CONSUMPTION Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. iSpyFire has been designed to use GPS and other sensors sparingly. The app relies on location data only while you are responding to a location or when you are attempting to create a new location (except when an apparatus is in AVL mode, in which case it is constantly checking).
MAGE by NGA
This app enables real-time field awareness by allowing users to create and share geotagged reports with media. It supports offline functionality and customizable geospatial data layers for team collaboration.
- Geotagged field reports
- Media sharing (photos, videos, voice)
- Real-time location sharing
- Offline functionality
- Local geospatial data layers
- Customizable for team needs
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The MAGE app provides dynamic capabilities for mobile situational awareness. Originally developed to support first responders deploying in the event of natural disasters, the MAGE app on your mobile device allows you to create geotagged field reports and observations that contain media such as photos, videos and voice recordings and share them instantly with other members of your team. Using the GPS in your mobile device, MAGE can record user locations in real time. Your locations can be automatically shared only with the other members of your team. The app remains functional if your mobile device loses its network connection and will upload its local content when a connection is reestablished. Geospatial data layers, including map tiles and vector data, can be stored on your mobile device and are available at all times. When disconnected from the network, MAGE will use local data layers to continue to provide relevant geospatial information to teammates. MAGE is customizable and can be tailored to your team's situation. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is releasing this application to the general public to increase the impact of government investments in unclassified mobile initiatives. MAGE is not hosted or managed by NGA, in order to use it you will need to get access to your agency or managing entities server. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MAGE by NGA at 4.4 against iSpyMobile's 2.8. MAGE by NGA also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium). iSpyMobile's advantage is review sentiment (32% vs 0%) and ratings volume (30 vs 7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MAGE by NGA holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 32% of iSpyMobile's written reviews are positive against 0% of MAGE by NGA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iSpyMobile ships an update every 3 weeks, MAGE by NGA every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iSpyMobile | MAGE by NGA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (30 ratings) | 4.4 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 31.7% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 30 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 376 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | iSpyFire, Inc. | National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency |
Customer experience
iSpyMobile
MAGE by NGA
Bugs and requests
iSpyMobile
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes when opening native maps
- Notifications don't respect disable settings
- Closed calls not displaying despite toggle enabled
- Calls not loading or showing as zero calls
- App force closes when accessing notifications from lock screen
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- Inconsistent call alerts (sometimes missing, sometimes delayed)
- Settings reset after logout/login
- App logging out unexpectedly
- Buttons unresponsive in new UI
- App crashes when selecting response status
- Notification tone defaults to system sound instead of app selection
- Automatic updates overriding user disable settings
- Call information not populating for weeks
- Spinning loading circle indefinitely
- Interface appears different on each app open
- Delayed call notifications (5+ minutes late)
- Calls visible in alerts but not in app dashboard
- App won't load calls after receiving alert
Requested features
14 requests- Revert to previous app version design
- Adjustable text size controls
- Dark mode toggle option
- Google Maps integration option
- Persistent notification settings
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- Ability to disable notifications per shift
- Better closed call history access
- Improved map zoom defaults
- Agency-specific notification filtering
- Critical alert override for Do Not Disturb mode
- Swipe navigation controls
- Hydrant distance display
- Call plans section functionality
- Better CAD notes visibility
MAGE by NGA
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iSpyMobile
No in-app purchases
MAGE by NGA
No in-app purchases
