# Lantern® vs CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lantern® at none against CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA's 7. Lantern® also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (1K vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Lantern® asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Lantern® against 4.9 for CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA has 1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Lantern® ships an update every 13 months, CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lantern® | CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lantern/id1596041707/reviews)** | [4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cst-exam-prep-2026-ast-nbstsa/id6476125216/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 68.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 190 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [OrthAlign, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518312918) | [EZ Test Prep](https://appshunter.io/developer/1664527806) |

## What reviewers say

### Lantern®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lantern/id1596041707)

This application streamlines knee surgery workflows for orthopedic surgeons. It provides a digital platform for pre-operative planning and intra-operative guidance, aiming to improve surgical precision and patient outcomes.

**Highlights:** Streamlined surgical workflows, Pre-operative planning, Intra-operative guidance, Improved surgical precision, Enhanced patient outcomes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cst-exam-prep-2026-ast-nbstsa/id6476125216)

Prepare for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam with expertly written questions and detailed explanations. Study on the go with adaptive difficulty, full-length practice exams, and progress tracking. Content is aligned with the latest NBSTSA guidelines and developed by experienced CSTs and educators.

**Highlights:** Expertly written practice questions, Straight-to-the-point explanations, Adaptive difficulty levels, Full-length practice exams, Progress tracking and study goals, Instant feedback, Offline study capability

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CST Surgical Technologist Prep | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| CST Surgical Technologist Prep | $24.99 | per month |
| CST Exam Prep Intro 2 | $24.99 | per month |
| CST Surgical Tech Exam Prep | $24.99 | per month |
| CST Surgical Technologist Prep | $64.99 | per 6 months |
| CST Exam Prep Intro 2 | $64.99 | per 6 months |
| CST Surgical Tech Exam Prep | $64.99 | per 6 months |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Helpful for exam prep
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎯 Covers exam topics thoroughly
- 💡 Clear explanations of answers
- 📚 Bookmark and review incorrect answers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive subscription
- 🔁 Repeats questions too often
- ❓ Incorrect answers marked as correct
- 🔄 Difficulty canceling subscription
- 💰 App still takes money after cancellation issues

**Reported bugs**

- Repeats similar questions too many times
- Incorrect answers marked as correct with correct explanation
- Question feed system is broken
- Question count is lower than advertised
- Difficulty canceling subscription

**Requested features**

- Option to focus on weak areas
- More new questions in daily quizzes
- Improved subscription cancellation process


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lantern® free?

Lantern® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA free?

CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lantern® or CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA?

Lantern® is rated higher. Lantern® averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.

### Do Lantern® or CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA have ads?

Neither Lantern® nor CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lantern® or CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA?

Lantern® ships an update every 13 months, and CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA fortnightly. Most recently, Lantern® was updated on November 3, 2026 and CST Exam Prep 2026 AST NBSTSA on November 4, 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.*