Comparison

Kaplan Schweser vs SIE Exam

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

Head to head
About

Kaplan Schweser

Access essential study tools for finance certification exams on your mobile device. Review notes, practice questions, and flashcards anytime, anywhere, with offline capabilities. Optimize your learning experience and stay on track with your studies.

Highlights
  • QBank access
  • SchweserNotes access
  • Flashcards
  • Secret Sauce
  • Online and offline access
  • Mobile study tools
Features
Read full description

This mobile application supports the Kaplan Schweser CFA and FRM exam review products by offering you QBank, SchweserNotes, Flashcards, and Secret Sauce on the go. While our web-based learning experience offers you the robust tools you need for your longer study sessions, the mobile application can help you study on the go by giving you both online and offline access to the key tools that will help you keep your studying on track when you are away from your desk. This mobile app is in heavy development and we love hearing from our learners as we work hard to optimize your learning experience. Please feel free to reach out to us at online@kaplan.com to pass along your feedback! Access to these study tools is based on what products you have purchased through Kaplan Schweser's website, customer service, or authorized partners.

About

SIE Exam

Prepare for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam with a personalized study plan. Practice with over 700 questions, track your progress, and compare your scores to the community average to boost your confidence and pass on your first attempt.

Highlights
  • Personalized study plan
  • 700+ practice questions
  • Track strengths and weaknesses
  • Detailed test statistics
  • Community score comparison
  • Topic-based learning
Features
Read full description

Pass your SIE with flying colors! Boost your confidence in passing the first time with our mobile app and a personal study plan based on your current skill and requirements. The Securities Industry Essentials® (SIE®) Exam is a FINRA exam for prospective securities industry professionals. This introductory-level exam assesses a candidate’s knowledge of basic securities industry information including concepts fundamental to working in the industry, such as types of products and their risks; the structure of the securities industry markets, regulatory agencies and their functions; and prohibited practices. Follow a specially designed personal study plan and train yourself to pass the first time! Key features: - Choose from different topics required to pass a certification - Practice with 700+ questions - Track your strengths and weaknesses within Stats section of the app - Study detailed statistics of every test you take - Compare your score to the community average for almost any type of exam - - - - Purchases, subscriptions and terms You need to buy a lifetime access or subscribe to get access to all features, courses and questions. The cost of the purchase is charged to your iTunes account. Subscriptions are auto-renewable and are billed at the rate and period selected depending on the subscription plan. Users’ accounts are charged for auto-renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal can be turned off in Account Settings in iTunes after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of use: https://mastrapi.com/terms Privacy policy: https://mastrapi.com/policy

Screenshots

Kaplan Schweser4 screens
SIE Exam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SIE Exam at 4.5 against Kaplan Schweser's 1.7. SIE Exam also leads on review sentiment (30% vs 6%) and ratings volume (310 vs 39). Kaplan Schweser's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. SIE Exam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Kaplan Schweser asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SIE Exam holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SIE Exam has 310 ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 6% of Kaplan Schweser's written reviews are positive against 30% of SIE Exam's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kaplan Schweser ships an update every 2 months, SIE Exam every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Kaplan Schweser versus SIE Exam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKaplan SchweserSIE Exam
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (39 ratings)4.5 (310 ratings) — better
Positive reviews5.8% of reviews30.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings39310 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKU PACEMastrAPI

Customer experience

Kaplan Schweser

All ratings39 ratings
Positive15.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative82.1%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive5.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative91.7%

SIE Exam

All ratings310 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral3.2%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

Kaplan Schweser

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • App crashes on startup or when accessing notes
  • Black screen after login
  • Content fails to load or displays blank
  • Freezing when navigating between pages
  • Video download function non-functional
Show 19 more
  • Downloaded videos cannot be watched offline
  • Video audio not working without headphones/Bluetooth
  • Video playback issues (black screens, no sound)
  • Q-Bank questions cannot be answered or answers cannot be changed
  • Q-Bank tables and graphs not displaying
  • Quiz progress not saving between sessions
  • Downloaded videos disappear after app closes
  • Unexpected error messages on login
  • App incompatible with iPad Air and iPad Pro
  • Landscape mode menu bar cannot be dismissed
  • Videos cut out when rotating device orientation
  • Video lectures not available for certain levels (Level 2, Level 3)
  • Audio notes missing for CFA Level 1
  • Courses not displaying in app despite being purchased
  • App requires internet to view downloaded content list
  • Slow transitions and performance lag
  • Server outages during peak study times
  • Sync errors causing loss of quiz progress
  • Login credentials work on website but not app

Requested features

16 requests
  • Dark mode/night mode for studying
  • Search function for videos
  • Organize videos by topic/category
  • Batch download multiple videos simultaneously
  • Persistent login/biometric authentication (Face ID/Touch ID)
Show 11 more
  • Full iPad Pro optimization and support
  • Landscape mode support
  • Split-screen multitasking capability
  • Closed captions for video lessons
  • Sync quiz progress between app and website
  • Video rewind and fast-forward controls
  • Flashcard functionality in app
  • Offline access to written materials
  • Offline video playback without internet
  • Progress tracking and completion indicators
  • Select all topics feature for custom quizzes

SIE Exam

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Kaplan Schweser

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SIE Exam

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly with Trial7 Days trial$24.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Kaplan Schweser free?
Kaplan Schweser is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SIE Exam free?
SIE Exam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Kaplan Schweser or SIE Exam?
SIE Exam is rated higher. Kaplan Schweser averages 1.7 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while SIE Exam averages 4.5 from 310 ratings.
Do Kaplan Schweser or SIE Exam have ads?
Neither Kaplan Schweser nor SIE Exam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kaplan Schweser or SIE Exam?
Kaplan Schweser ships an update every 2 months, and SIE Exam every 4 months. Most recently, Kaplan Schweser was updated on October 22, 2026 and SIE Exam on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons