# Surgical Technologist Mastery vs ExplORer Live

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ExplORer Live at none against Surgical Technologist Mastery's 7. ExplORer Live also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Surgical Technologist Mastery's advantage is ratings volume (3.2K vs 11) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surgical Technologist Mastery sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. ExplORer Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

Surgical Technologist Mastery holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surgical Technologist Mastery has 3.2K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surgical Technologist Mastery | ExplORer Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-technologist-mastery/id1068518021/reviews)** | [4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explorer-live/id1355566221/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 78.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#180** | — |
| Size | 91 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Higher Learning Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/571804544) | [ExplORer Surgical Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1139791221) |

## What reviewers say

### Surgical Technologist Mastery

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-technologist-mastery/id1068518021)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

Prepare for your CST exam with over 1,800 practice questions and detailed explanations. This app features adaptive learning, expert support, and in-depth performance analysis to help you study smarter and pass your certification.

**Highlights:** 1,800+ exam-like practice questions, Detailed explanations and images, Adaptive learning engine, How-to videos on techniques, Community discussions with experts, In-depth performance analysis, Offline study capability

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surgical Tech Exam - 1 Month | $17.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $23.99 | per month |
| Surgical Tech Exam - 6 Months | $74.99 | per 6 months |
| 6 month subscription | $99.99 | per 6 months |
| Surgical Tech Exam - 12 Months | $111.99 | per year |
| Surgical Technologist - Yearly | $149.99 | per year |
| Expansion Pack | $64.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive
- 🚀 Comprehensive coverage of exam topics
- 💯 Effective in helping users pass certification exams
- 💰 Affordable compared to other resources

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or freezes after updates
- 🤖 Inaccurate or outdated questions
- 🤔 Inconsistent performance across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription cancellation issues
- Compatibility problems on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Quick review feature like the book
- Improved customer support responsiveness


### ExplORer Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explorer-live/id1355566221)

This cloud-based platform streamlines complex surgical procedures with customizable, step-by-step instructions. It enhances operating room efficiency for hospitals and aids medical device companies in market introduction. Accessible by all team members, it optimizes surgical workflows.

**Highlights:** Cloud-based platform, Workflow management, Customizable instructions, OR efficiency, Market introduction support, Team accessibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surgical Technologist Mastery free?

Surgical Technologist Mastery is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ExplORer Live free?

ExplORer Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Surgical Technologist Mastery or ExplORer Live?

Surgical Technologist Mastery is rated higher. Surgical Technologist Mastery averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while ExplORer Live averages 4.6 from 11 ratings.

### Do Surgical Technologist Mastery or ExplORer Live have ads?

Neither Surgical Technologist Mastery nor ExplORer Live shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surgical Technologist Mastery or ExplORer Live?

Surgical Technologist Mastery ships an update every 3 weeks, and ExplORer Live every 3 weeks. Most recently, Surgical Technologist Mastery was updated on October 26, 2026 and ExplORer Live on October 24, 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.*