# Surgical Technologist Mastery vs CSTSetup

The clearest difference is monetization model: CSTSetup at freemium against Surgical Technologist Mastery's subscription. CSTSetup also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Surgical Technologist Mastery's advantage is ratings volume (3.2K vs 1) and chart position (#190 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and CSTSetup sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CSTSetup holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surgical Technologist Mastery has 3.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Surgical Technologist Mastery ships an update every 3 weeks, CSTSetup every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surgical Technologist Mastery | CSTSetup |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surgical-technologist-mastery/id1068518021/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cstsetup-case-prep-and-setups/id6760922022/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 91 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Higher Learning Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/571804544) | [CSTSetup](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886831213) |

## What reviewers say

### Surgical Technologist Mastery

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

**Currently charting:** #190 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


### CSTSetup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cstsetup-case-prep-and-setups/id6760922022)

This app provides surgical technologists, students, and educators with a comprehensive library of surgical setups, instrument details, and case log verification. Master hundreds of procedures, identify over 2,700 instruments, and ensure your clinical experience counts towards your logbook.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of surgical setups, 2,700+ instrument library, Instrument identification and details, Surgical case log evaluator, Procedural blueprints, Instrument handling cautions

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CSTSetup Monthly Pro | $12.99 | per month |
| CSTSetup Yearly Pro | $155.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surgical Technologist Mastery free?

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

### Is CSTSetup free?

CSTSetup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Surgical Technologist Mastery or CSTSetup?

CSTSetup is rated higher. Surgical Technologist Mastery averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while CSTSetup averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Surgical Technologist Mastery or CSTSetup have ads?

Neither Surgical Technologist Mastery nor CSTSetup shows ads.

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

Surgical Technologist Mastery ships an update every 3 weeks, and CSTSetup every 5 days. Most recently, Surgical Technologist Mastery was updated on September 25, 2026 and CSTSetup on September 21, 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.*