# SIE Exam vs NorthStar SIE

The clearest difference is rating: NorthStar SIE at 5.0 against SIE Exam's 4.5. NorthStar SIE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). SIE Exam's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 50 months) and ratings volume (311 vs 11). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SIE Exam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. NorthStar SIE asks for nothing beyond the download.

NorthStar SIE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SIE Exam has 311 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two.

SIE Exam ships an update every 4 months, NorthStar SIE every 50 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SIE Exam | NorthStar SIE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (311 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sie-exam/id1584509838/reviews) | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northstar-sie/id1600951292/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **311** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 50 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 35 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MastrAPI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618627725) | [NorthStar Securities Exam Prep, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1600951294) |

## What reviewers say

### SIE Exam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sie-exam/id1584509838)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly with Trial | $24.99 | per month |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


### NorthStar SIE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/northstar-sie/id1600951292)

Prepare for your Securities Industry Essentials exam with interactive quizzes. Get instant feedback on your answers from an extensive question bank. Study effectively and improve your exam readiness.

**Highlights:** Extensive test bank, Interactive quiz format, Instant feedback on responses, Exam preparation, Securities Industry Essentials focus

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SIE Exam free?

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

### Is NorthStar SIE free?

NorthStar SIE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SIE Exam or NorthStar SIE?

NorthStar SIE is rated higher. SIE Exam averages 4.5 out of 5 from 311 ratings, while NorthStar SIE averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.

### Do SIE Exam or NorthStar SIE have ads?

Neither SIE Exam nor NorthStar SIE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SIE Exam or NorthStar SIE?

SIE Exam ships an update every 4 months, and NorthStar SIE every 50 months. Most recently, SIE Exam was updated on October 30, 2026 and NorthStar SIE 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.*