Comparison

SurgBook vs CSTSetup

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

Head to head
About

SurgBook

Access a curated library of didactic surgical videos designed to enhance understanding of operative techniques. Content ranges from fundamental to advanced surgical concepts, catering to modern surgeons seeking continuous learning.

Highlights
  • Didactic surgical videos
  • Operative technique explanations
  • Basic to advanced surgical content
  • Online learning enhancement
  • Curated new materials
Read full description

SurgBook is a platform for updating surgical learning through didactic videos, specially edited for understanding of various operative techniques. Our goal is to offer an online enhancement, with new materials selected specially for the need of the modern surgeon. We offer content ranging from the basics to the advanced aspects of the art of surgery.

About

CSTSetup

This clinical companion provides surgical technologists, students, and nurses with detailed surgical setups, an instrument library, a medical dictionary, and exam preparation tools. It helps users prepare for cases, study instruments, understand medical terms, and log clinical experience.

Highlights
  • 280+ surgical setups by specialty
  • 3,100+ surgical instruments with photos
  • Built-in medical dictionary with 3,700+ terms
  • Certification exam practice (CST, TS-C, CRCST, etc.)
  • Customizable surgical setup builder
  • Clinical case logging for surgical programs
  • 3D instrument models (Pro feature)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Know the case before you scrub in. CSTSetup is the clinical companion built for surgical technologists, students, OR nurses and educators: your setups, your instrument library, a built-in medical dictionary, your exam prep and your case log, all in one place. SURGICAL SETUPS 280+ setups across General, Cardiac, ENT, Neuro, OB/GYN, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, Plastics, Urology and Vascular. Each one shows the tray grouped by what every instrument does, the room (equipment, prep and drape, suture and medicines), a 30-second summary and the case step by step, with the circulator's side for Pro. General Surgery is free; Pro unlocks every specialty. THE FULL INSTRUMENT LIBRARY 3,100+ surgical instruments with real photographs, every name techs use and handling notes, sorted by class, standard tray and maker. Study them as flashcards. Pro members can turn, zoom and open real 3D models of hundreds of them. A BUILT-IN MEDICAL DICTIONARY 3,700+ terms explained in plain words. Tap an underlined word in any setup, instrument or exam question to see what it means, how it's said and the word parts that build it. STUDY FOR YOUR CERTIFICATION EXAM Practice for the CST (NBSTSA), TS-C (NCCT), CRCST (HSPA), CSPDT (CBSPD) and CSFA (NBSTSA) exams: practice by area with the why behind every answer, timed exams matched to the real pass mark, and a daily five questions to keep your streak going. Your progress shows your practice score, your weakest area, your streak and your whole year of study. BUILD YOUR OWN SETUPS Save your surgeon's way as a setup of your own, right on your phone. No account needed to start; sign in and it syncs to the web. BUILT FOR SURGICAL TECH PROGRAMS Log every case for your program: choose AST, NCCT or CC4SA, check off what you did in the room, and get an instant First Scrub, Second Scrub or Observation answer before it goes to your instructor. Clock your clinical hours from the clinical site. CAN'T FIND A SETUP? Ask for it right in the app, and we'll notify you when it's built. ONE SUBSCRIPTION CSTSetup Pro unlocks every specialty, the full library, 3D models and every certification exam in this app, in Instruments, in every CSTSetup exam app and on cstsetup.com. Download CSTSetup and put the whole back table in your pocket.

Screenshots

SurgBook3 screens
CSTSetup4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CSTSetup at 4.7 against SurgBook's 3.0. CSTSetup also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 10%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 weeks). SurgBook's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. CSTSetup sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. SurgBook asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CSTSetup holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CSTSetup has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 10% of SurgBook's written reviews are positive against 50% of CSTSetup's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SurgBook ships an update every 4 weeks, CSTSetup every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SurgBook versus CSTSetup: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurgBookCSTSetup
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)4.7 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings212 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#167 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB61 MB
Age rating+174+
DeveloperYDUQSCSTSetup

Customer experience

SurgBook

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive10.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative70.0%

CSTSetup

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

SurgBook

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

CSTSetup

Subscriptions2
  • CSTSetup Monthly Pro$12.991 Month
  • CSTSetup Yearly Pro$155.991 Year

Questions

Is SurgBook free?
SurgBook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CSTSetup free?
CSTSetup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SurgBook or CSTSetup?
CSTSetup is rated higher. SurgBook averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while CSTSetup averages 4.7 from 12 ratings.
Do SurgBook or CSTSetup have ads?
Neither SurgBook nor CSTSetup shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SurgBook or CSTSetup?
SurgBook ships an update every 4 weeks, and CSTSetup every 5 days. Most recently, SurgBook was updated on November 2, 2026 and CSTSetup on November 10, 2026.

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