Comparison

Chemdata vs FAST

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

Head to head
About

Chemdata

Access a comprehensive chemical hazard database offline for incident management. Provides detailed information on over 62,000 chemicals, including safety, transport, and emergency response guidance. Offers multilingual support and regular updates.

Highlights
  • Offline chemical database access
  • Hazardous chemical identification
  • Incident command support
  • Transport classification
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) guidance
  • Multilingual support (EN, NL, FR, DE, ES)
Features
Read full description

If your organisation handles chemicals and you need to know how to manage their risks, Pocket Chemdata® is simply a 'must have'. Pocket Chemdata is a reliable, interactive database subscription service providing access to over 62,000 documents and more than 186,000 different chemical names including pure and trade-name chemicals. Pocket Chemdata provides clear information including how to manage their hazardous affects. PRODUCT BENEFITS: •Simple and easy-to-use chemical and chemical hazard identification •Incident commanders can access chemical information from anywhere in the world (no internet connection required) •Helps to mitigate the consequences of incidents •Regularly updated database, so users always have the latest information •Information is installed on the device, so an internet connection is not required to access data •Provides the same clear concise advice as the standard Chemdata® FEATURES: •Powerful search functionality for efficient chemical identification •UN number, ADR HIN, EAC codes •Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements •Physical form information •Transport classification •Chemical hazard information (only available to subscribers) •Reactivity guidance (only available to subscribers) •Fire, decontamination and first aid advice (only available to subscribers) •Precautions information including large and small spill advice (only available to subscribers) •Environmental data (only available to subscribers) •Physical properties (only available to subscribers) •Add private notes and comments against chemical records (only available to subscribers) •Sync private notes and comments with your organisation’s central Chemdata solution (only available to subscribers) Designed and continuously maintained by emergency responders from Ricardo's NCEC, one of the world's leading chemical emergency centres, Pocket Chemdata is one of the most trusted sources of chemical information available. Data is updated approximately twice a year to ensure responders have access to up-to-date information. Pocket Chemdata is used globally by organisations, including fire and other emergency services, to provide invaluable and timely advice in the event of chemical spillages, fires and contamination incidents. Trust Pocket Chemdata for clear and concise information on more than 62,000 substances, at your fingertips. The free app provides access to one full record, to demonstrate the full capabilities of the system, this can be found by searching for the ‘Chlorine’ record or document number 5. LANGUAGES As well as English, Pocket Chemdata includes Dutch, French, German and Spanish translations - all in the one app. SUPPORT We would really like to know what you think about Pocket Chemdata, so please visit www.chemdata.co.uk to provide feedback or ask questions. Alternatively, you can email us at chemdata@ricardo.com. Chemdata® and Pocket Chemdata® have been developed for NCEC by Ark Software Ltd and Payot Ltd.

About

FAST

This app serves as a guide for HAZMAT professionals on how a specific decontamination agent interacts with and neutralizes various chemicals. It features a comprehensive chemical threat index, detailing efficacy on vapor releases and contaminated surfaces, with search and sort functionalities.

Highlights
  • Extensive chemical threat index
  • FAST-ACT efficacy details
  • Vapor release decontamination
  • Contaminated surface decontamination
  • Search by Chemical Name
  • Sort by CAS Number
Features
Read full description

The FAST-ACT Chemical Decontamination Guide was designed to provide HAZMAT professional a guide on how FAST-ACT will interact and decontaminate the chemical that they are encountering. The FAST-ACT Chemical Decontamination Guide provides: • The largest chemical threat index on an app • FAST-ACT efficacy on specific vapor release and contaminated surfaces • Sort and search by Chemical Name, Cas NO.

Screenshots

Chemdata3 screens
FAST3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chemdata at 67% against FAST's 0%. FAST's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 19 months) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chemdata ships an update every 19 months, FAST every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Chemdata versus FAST: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChemdataFAST
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.3 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB22 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperRicardo-AEA ltdTimilon Technology Acquisitions LLC

Customer experience

Chemdata

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

FAST

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chemdata

No in-app purchases

None

FAST

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chemdata free?
Chemdata is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FAST free?
FAST is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chemdata or FAST have ads?
Neither Chemdata nor FAST shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chemdata or FAST?
Chemdata ships an update every 19 months, and FAST every 7 months. Most recently, Chemdata was updated on October 4, 2026 and FAST on September 17, 2026.

Other comparisons