Comparison

Ohio State Nursing Beacon vs Core Anesthesia

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

Head to head
About

Ohio State Nursing Beacon

Read full description

College of Nursing Student Companion App.

About

Core Anesthesia

This app offers a curriculum of audio episodes for CRNAs and students to earn CEUs, pass tests, and review for boards. Designed for busy schedules, episodes can be listened to anywhere and include printed outlines and sources.

Highlights
  • Continuing education episodes
  • Board review content
  • Podcast format for on-the-go learning
  • Printed outlines and sources included
  • Designed for CRNAs and students
Features
Read full description

Core Anesthesia is continuing education and board review built for nurse anesthetists, made by CRNAs who remember how little time there is. Learn by listening. The curriculum is delivered as podcast episodes you can take anywhere: the commute, the gym, the drive between clinical sites. Every episode comes with learning objectives, a printed outline, cited sources, and a read-along transcript. EARN AANA CE CREDIT • Class A credits logged as you listen • Certificates ready to download when you need them • No paperwork and no separate reporting STUDY WITH PURPOSE • 1800+ practice questions with rationales that explain the answer • Custom quizzes across 19 anesthesia categories • See which topics are strong and which need work • High-yield cheat sheets and procedure videos • Search that finds the episode, sheet, or clip you meant TAKE IT OFFLINE Download episodes and cheat sheets for flights, commutes, and dead zones. Anything you save stays available with no signal. For SRNAs preparing for boards and CRNAs maintaining certification. End user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Ohio State Nursing Beacon3 screens
Core Anesthesia4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ohio State Nursing Beacon at none against Core Anesthesia's 10. Core Anesthesia's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). 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. Core Anesthesia sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Ohio State Nursing Beacon asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ohio State Nursing Beacon ships an update every 5 months, Core Anesthesia every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Ohio State Nursing Beacon versus Core Anesthesia: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOhio State Nursing BeaconCore Anesthesia
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (537 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—90.2% of reviews
Number of ratings—537 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOhio State UniversityStudent Nurse Anesthesia LLC

Bugs and requests

Ohio State Nursing Beacon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Core Anesthesia

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Episodes won't play offline or without Wi-Fi despite having data
  • Premium subscription doesn't always unlock premium-labeled episodes
  • Home screen categories don't display all available episodes
  • Inconsistent episode visibility between app and podcast platforms
  • Playback buffering and connectivity issues in the car

Requested features

6 requests
  • Chronological episode listing (1 to most recent)
  • Better filtering and sorting options
  • Episode download capability for offline listening
  • Improved search functionality for specific topics
  • Clearer distinction between free and premium content
Show 1 more
  • Enhanced navigation to reduce confusion about available episodes

In-app purchases

None

Ohio State Nursing Beacon

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Core Anesthesia

Subscriptions5
  • Student Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • CRNA Premium Monthly3 Days trial$64.991 Month
  • Student Premium Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • CRNA Premium Quarterly$179.003 Months
  • CRNA Premium Yearly3 Days trial$599.001 Year
One-time5
  • Airway Core Module$49.99
  • Equipment Core Module$49.99
  • Pharmacology Core Module$49.99
Show 2 more
  • Anatomy Core Module$149.99
  • core_crna_60$599.00

Questions

Is Ohio State Nursing Beacon free?
Ohio State Nursing Beacon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Core Anesthesia free?
Core Anesthesia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ohio State Nursing Beacon or Core Anesthesia have ads?
Neither Ohio State Nursing Beacon nor Core Anesthesia shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ohio State Nursing Beacon or Core Anesthesia?
Ohio State Nursing Beacon ships an update every 5 months, and Core Anesthesia every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ohio State Nursing Beacon was updated on November 3, 2026 and Core Anesthesia on November 3, 2026.

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