# Open Access Helper vs Core Anesthesia

The clearest difference is rating: Core Anesthesia at 4.9 against Open Access Helper's 4.0. Core Anesthesia also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 50%) and ratings volume (535 vs 4). Open Access Helper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Core Anesthesia sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Open Access Helper asks for nothing beyond the download.

Core Anesthesia holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Core Anesthesia has 535 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Open Access Helper's written reviews are positive against 90% of Core Anesthesia's.

Open Access Helper ships an update monthly, Core Anesthesia every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Open Access Helper | Core Anesthesia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-access-helper/id1592826205/reviews) | **[4.9 (535 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/core-anesthesia/id1635172045/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **535** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **90.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Claus Wolf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441254407) | [Student Nurse Anesthesia LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1630193394) |

## What reviewers say

### Open Access Helper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-access-helper/id1592826205)

Easily find legal, free versions of paywalled scientific articles using trusted APIs. Seamlessly connect to university library proxies like EZProxy and OpenAthens. This open-source tool respects your privacy and makes research more accessible.

**Highlights:** Find legal, free scholarly articles, Access paywalled research, Integrates with unpaywall.org and core.ac.uk, Seamless EZProxy/OpenAthens connection, Indicates version type (Published, Accepted, Submitted), Open-source and privacy-respecting

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Core Anesthesia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/core-anesthesia/id1635172045)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| CRNA Premium Monthly | $64.99 | per month |
| Student Premium Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| CRNA Premium Quarterly | $179.00 | per 3 months |
| CRNA Premium Yearly | $599.00 | per year |
| Airway Core Module | $49.99 | one-time |
| Equipment Core Module | $49.99 | one-time |
| Pharmacology Core Module | $49.99 | one-time |
| Anatomy Core Module | $149.99 | one-time |
| core_crna_10 | $199.00 | one-time |
| core_crna_30 | $299.00 | one-time |
| CRNA USAP 25% | $449.99 | one-time |
| CRNA Promotion | $539.00 | one-time |
| core_crna_60 | $599.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎓 Excellent content quality and depth
- 👨‍🏫 Talented hosts (Cole and Tanner) who explain complex topics clearly
- 🚀 Perfect episode length for commutes and busy schedules
- 📱 Easy-to-use app interface
- 🎯 Content aligns well with CRNA school curriculum

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗂️ Poor episode organization and filtering options
- 🧭 Confusing navigation and discoverability of content
- 🐛 Playback issues without Wi-Fi connectivity
- ❓ Inconsistent premium content access and display
- 📍 Difficulty locating specific episodes despite search function

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Open Access Helper free?

Open Access Helper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Core Anesthesia free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Open Access Helper or Core Anesthesia?

Core Anesthesia is rated higher. Open Access Helper averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Core Anesthesia averages 4.9 from 535 ratings.

### Do Open Access Helper or Core Anesthesia have ads?

Neither Open Access Helper nor Core Anesthesia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Open Access Helper or Core Anesthesia?

Open Access Helper ships an update monthly, and Core Anesthesia every 3 weeks. Most recently, Open Access Helper was updated on September 15, 2026 and Core Anesthesia on September 28, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*