Comparison

SID by LayerJot vs CSTSetup

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

Head to head
About

SID by LayerJot

Quickly identify surgical instruments using AI-powered scanning or a vast catalog. Access detailed information, including IFUs and descriptions, to enhance accuracy in medical settings.

Highlights
  • AI visual instrument identification
  • Barcode and SKU scanning
  • Extensive instrument catalog (3.5M+ items)
  • Detailed instrument descriptions
  • Integrated IFUs (Instructions for Use)
  • High-resolution images
Features
Read full description

SID simplifies surgical instrument identification and provides vital information such as IFUs, descriptions and notes. Use it anywhere to quickly get info on any instrument - by searching our catalog of over 3.5 million instruments and devices. Make instrument identification easier with our AI-powered SmartScanner to scan barcodes and SKUs, or by simply taking a picture of the instrument, and boost your accuracy to 99%. Know your instrument! * Enhanced instrument catalog with detailed photos and IFUs * Hi-res images and complete catalogs from major manufacturers * AI visual identification with any phone's camera

About

CSTSetup

This medical app provides surgical technologists, students, and nurses with detailed surgical setups, an instrument library, a medical dictionary, and exam preparation tools. It allows users to build custom setups and log clinical cases for their programs.

Highlights
  • 280+ surgical setups
  • 3,100+ surgical instruments with 3D models
  • 3,700+ medical terms explained
  • Certification exam practice (CST, TS-C, CRCST, etc.)
  • Custom setup creation
  • Clinical case logging for programs
  • Built-in medical dictionary
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Know the case before you scrub in. CSTSetup is the clinical companion built for surgical technologists, students, OR nurses and educators: your setups, your instrument library, a built-in medical dictionary, your exam prep and your case log, all in one place. SURGICAL SETUPS 280+ setups across General, Cardiac, ENT, Neuro, OB/GYN, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, Plastics, Urology and Vascular. Each one shows the tray grouped by what every instrument does, the room (equipment, prep and drape, suture and medicines), a 30-second summary and the case step by step, with the circulator's side for Pro. General Surgery is free; Pro unlocks every specialty. THE FULL INSTRUMENT LIBRARY 3,100+ surgical instruments with real photographs, every name techs use and handling notes, sorted by class, standard tray and maker. Study them as flashcards. Pro members can turn, zoom and open real 3D models of hundreds of them. A BUILT-IN MEDICAL DICTIONARY 3,700+ terms explained in plain words. Tap an underlined word in any setup, instrument or exam question to see what it means, how it's said and the word parts that build it. STUDY FOR YOUR CERTIFICATION EXAM Practice for the CST (NBSTSA), TS-C (NCCT), CRCST (HSPA), CSPDT (CBSPD) and CSFA (NBSTSA) exams: practice by area with the why behind every answer, timed exams matched to the real pass mark, and a daily five questions to keep your streak going. Your progress shows your practice score, your weakest area, your streak and your whole year of study. BUILD YOUR OWN SETUPS Save your surgeon's way as a setup of your own, right on your phone. No account needed to start; sign in and it syncs to the web. BUILT FOR SURGICAL TECH PROGRAMS Log every case for your program: choose AST, NCCT or CC4SA, check off what you did in the room, and get an instant First Scrub, Second Scrub or Observation answer before it goes to your instructor. Clock your clinical hours from the clinical site. CAN'T FIND A SETUP? Ask for it right in the app, and we'll notify you when it's built. ONE SUBSCRIPTION CSTSetup Pro unlocks every specialty, the full library, 3D models and every certification exam in this app, in Instruments, in every CSTSetup exam app and on cstsetup.com. Download CSTSetup and put the whole back table in your pocket.

Screenshots

SID by LayerJot4 screens
CSTSetup4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SID by LayerJot at none against CSTSetup's 2. SID by LayerJot also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 50%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). CSTSetup's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and chart position (#177 vs unranked). 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. CSTSetup sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. SID by LayerJot asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SID by LayerJot holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SID by LayerJot has 92 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of SID by LayerJot's written reviews are positive against 50% of CSTSetup's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SID by LayerJot ships an update every 3 months, CSTSetup weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SID by LayerJot versus CSTSetup: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSID by LayerJotCSTSetup
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (92 ratings) — better4.6 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings92 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#177 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size302 MB61 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLayerJot IncCSTSetup

Customer experience

SID by LayerJot

All ratings83 ratings
Positive98.8%
Neutral1.2%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

CSTSetup

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

SID by LayerJot

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

CSTSetup

Subscriptions2
  • CSTSetup Monthly Pro$12.991 Month
  • CSTSetup Yearly Pro$155.991 Year

Questions

Is SID by LayerJot free?
SID by LayerJot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CSTSetup free?
CSTSetup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SID by LayerJot or CSTSetup?
SID by LayerJot is rated higher. SID by LayerJot averages 5.0 out of 5 from 92 ratings, while CSTSetup averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.
Do SID by LayerJot or CSTSetup have ads?
Neither SID by LayerJot nor CSTSetup shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SID by LayerJot or CSTSetup?
SID by LayerJot ships an update every 3 months, and CSTSetup weekly. Most recently, SID by LayerJot was updated on November 3, 2026 and CSTSetup on October 31, 2026.

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