# NCLEX RN Mastery Exam vs RNotes®

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NCLEX RN Mastery Exam at 82% against RNotes®'s 0%. NCLEX RN Mastery Exam also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (31K vs 41). RNotes®'s advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NCLEX RN Mastery Exam sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and RNotes® sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

NCLEX RN Mastery Exam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NCLEX RN Mastery Exam has 31K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of NCLEX RN Mastery Exam's written reviews are positive against 0% of RNotes®'s.

NCLEX RN Mastery Exam ships an update every 3 weeks, RNotes® every 7 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | NCLEX RN Mastery Exam | RNotes® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (31K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nclex-rn-mastery-exam-2026/id625614526/reviews)** | [4.5 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnotes/id940109641/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **31K** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | **81.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#143** | — |
| Size | 121 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Higher Learning Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/571804544) | [Unbound Medicine, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300420400) |

## What reviewers say

### NCLEX RN Mastery Exam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nclex-rn-mastery-exam-2026/id625614526)

**Currently charting:** #143 Top Grossing · Medical (US App Store)

Prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam with over 4,000 practice questions written by U.S. nurses. Features an adaptive learning engine, AI tutor for personalized explanations, and realistic simulation tests. Connect with a community and get expert support.

**Highlights:** 4,000+ NCLEX-style questions, Adaptive learning engine, AI tutor with instant explanations, Realistic simulation tests, In-depth performance analysis, Community discussions and expert support

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student PN - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| RN Nurse - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Student RN - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited | $14.99 | per month |
| NCLEX RN Mastery | $19.99 | per month |
| NCLEX RN Mastery - 1 Month | $24.99 | per month |
| NCLEX RN - Monthly | $26.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Plus | $29.99 | per month |
| RN Mastery (LEG) - Monthly | $34.99 | per month |
| #1 Choice for NCLEX-RN®  Prep | $35.99 | per month |
| NCLEX RN Mastery - 3 Months | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| NCLEX RN Mastery - 12 Months | $114.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
- 👍 Helpful rationales and explanations
- 🚀 Comprehensive question bank
- 🚀 Detailed progress tracking
- 👍 Useful mnemonic and strategy features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Some questions may not be representative of NCLEX
- 🔍 Inconsistent quality of questions and rationales

**Reported bugs**

- Login and account issues
- Resetting progress and data loss
- Multimedia content not working properly

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to customize practice sets by topic
- More NCLEX-style simulation tests


### RNotes®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rnotes/id940109641)

This clinical reference app provides nurses and students with quick access to essential medical information, including guidelines, procedures, and exam preparation tools. It features full-color images, charts, and customizable notes to enhance patient care and learning.

**Highlights:** Quick-reference clinical nursing information, Updated AHA guidelines, Full-color images and charts, NCLEX exam topic indicators, Step-by-step procedures and assessment guidance, Customizable notes and highlights, Nursing alerts for critical safety information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RNotes® 4th Edition | $29.99 | one-time |
| RNotes® 5th Edition | $29.99 | one-time |
| RNotes | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NCLEX RN Mastery Exam free?

NCLEX RN Mastery Exam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RNotes® free?

RNotes® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NCLEX RN Mastery Exam or RNotes®?

NCLEX RN Mastery Exam is rated higher. NCLEX RN Mastery Exam averages 4.8 out of 5 from 31K ratings, while RNotes® averages 4.5 from 41 ratings.

### Do NCLEX RN Mastery Exam or RNotes® have ads?

Neither NCLEX RN Mastery Exam nor RNotes® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NCLEX RN Mastery Exam or RNotes®?

NCLEX RN Mastery Exam ships an update every 3 weeks, and RNotes® every 7 months. Most recently, NCLEX RN Mastery Exam was updated on September 24, 2026 and RNotes® on September 24, 2026.

---

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