Core Anesthesia vs MAC Check by NBCRNA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Continuing education episodes
- Board review content
- Podcast format for on-the-go learning
- Printed outlines and sources included
- Designed for CRNAs and students
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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/
MAC Check by NBCRNA
This app allows CRNAs in a Maintaining Anesthesia Care program to complete self-paced, longitudinal assessments on their mobile devices. It tracks progress, allows review of rationale, and enables users to resume assessments where they left off within a designated quarter.
- Self-paced longitudinal assessments
- Track progress and performance
- Review rationale and marked questions
- Elect time off quarters
- Resume assessments from where left off
- Complete assessments within a quarter
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MAC Check is a self-paced, online platform that uses a longitudinal assessment approach. CRNAs currently enrolled in the Maintaining Anesthesia Care (MAC) program can complete their quarterly MAC Check questions in the MAC Check mobile app. The app also tracks a CRNA’s progress and performance, allows CRNAs to review rationale and marked questions, and elect time off quarters. MAC Check is dynamic and convenient, and the mobile app allows CRNAs to leave the assessment and come back at any time within a quarter and resume where they left off – as long as the assessment is completed within the designated three-month period.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Core Anesthesia at 90% against MAC Check by NBCRNA's 0%. Core Anesthesia also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.7) and ratings volume (537 vs 18). MAC Check by NBCRNA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and ads 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
Both are free to download. Core Anesthesia sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. MAC Check by NBCRNA asks for nothing beyond the download.
Core Anesthesia holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Core Anesthesia has 537 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Core Anesthesia's written reviews are positive against 0% of MAC Check by NBCRNA's.
| Parameter | Core Anesthesia | MAC Check by NBCRNA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (537 ratings) — better | 1.7 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 537 — better | 18 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #196 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Student Nurse Anesthesia LLC | Internet Testing Systems (ITS) |
Customer experience
Core Anesthesia
MAC Check by NBCRNA
Bugs and 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
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- Enhanced navigation to reduce confusion about available episodes
MAC Check by NBCRNA
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Core Anesthesia
- Student Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- CRNA Premium Monthly3 Days trial$64.991 Month
- Student Premium Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
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- CRNA Premium Quarterly$179.003 Months
- CRNA Premium Yearly3 Days trial$599.001 Year
- Airway Core Module$49.99
- Equipment Core Module$49.99
- Pharmacology Core Module$49.99
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- Anatomy Core Module$149.99
- core_crna_10$199.00
- core_crna_30$299.00
- CRNA USAP 25%$449.99
- CRNA Promotion$539.00
- core_crna_60$599.00
MAC Check by NBCRNA
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Core Anesthesia free?
Is MAC Check by NBCRNA free?
Which has better reviews, Core Anesthesia or MAC Check by NBCRNA?
Do Core Anesthesia or MAC Check by NBCRNA have ads?
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