Comparison

SMRTSCRUB vs CSTSetup

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

Head to head
About

SMRTSCRUB

Streamline operating room efficiency with a digital preference card manager and surgical case log. Organize surgical setups, instrument preferences, and schedules with an intuitive interface and hands-free dictation. It securely stores professional setups without patient data.

Highlights
  • Digital preference cards
  • Hands-free dictation
  • Surgical case scheduler
  • Team collaboration
  • Comprehensive libraries
  • Timeline & milestones
Features
Read full description

SMRTSCRUB: Surgical Case Log & Preference Cards Elevate your Operating Room efficiency with SMRTSCRUB—the ultimate digital preference card manager and surgical case log designed specifically for surgeons, scrub nurses, and OR teams. Say goodbye to loose, disorganized paper notes and outdated printouts. SMRTSCRUB puts your surgical setups, instrument preferences, and case schedules right in your pocket with an intuitive, minimalist UI tailored for high-pressure medical environments. WHY SMRTSCRUB? * OR-Optimized UI: Designed with surgical workflows in mind. A minimalist interface that allows rapid navigation, even in fast-paced clinical environments. * Hands-Free Dictation: Add instrument preferences on the go. Dictate notes hands-free using our integrated voice-to-text feature—perfect when you're on the move or wearing gloves. * No Patient Data (HIPAA Safe): SMRTSCRUB is completely secure and HIPAA-compliant. We do not collect or store any patient information, keeping your professional surgical setups private and protected. KEY FEATURES: * Digital Preference Cards: Create and customize structured preference cards. Save surgeon details, hand preferences, music choices, positioning equipment, medications, and step-by-step operative workflows. * Comprehensive Libraries: Access a built-in library of medical supplies and sutures to add items to your cards with a single tap. * Surgical Case Scheduler: Organize your schedule with an interactive calendar. Set surgery dates, durations, specific operating rooms (ORs), and add surgical team members. * Timeline & Milestones: Log key moments in real-time, such as the "Time Out" safety checklist, to maintain an accurate case log. * Team Collaboration & Shared Library (Premium/Enterprise): Share preference cards with your team to ensure everyone is on the same page. Download public cards and upload your own templates to contribute to the scrub community. Whether you are a seasoned surgeon looking to standardize your workflows or a scrub technician managing complex instrument setups, SMRTSCRUB is your go-to digital assistant in the OR. Download SMRTSCRUB today and experience a smarter, paperless operating room! Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CSTSetup

This app provides surgical technologists, students, and educators with a comprehensive library of surgical setups, instrument details, and case log verification. Master hundreds of procedures, identify over 2,700 instruments, and ensure your clinical experience counts towards your logbook.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of surgical setups
  • 2,700+ instrument library
  • Instrument identification and details
  • Surgical case log evaluator
  • Procedural blueprints
  • Instrument handling cautions
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Step into the operating room with confidence. CSTSetup is the clinical companion built for surgical technologists, students and OR educators — your setups, your instrument library, your exam prep and your case log, all in one place. SURGICAL SETUPS 250+ step-by-step setups across General, Cardiac, ENT, Neuro, OB/GYN, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, Plastics, Urology and Vascular, each with the exact instruments and supplies for the case. General Surgery is free; Pro unlocks every specialty. THE FULL INSTRUMENT LIBRARY Its own tab now: 2,800+ surgical instruments with real photographs, alternate names and handling notes. Pro members can turn, zoom and open real 3D models of hundreds of them. STUDY FOR YOUR CERTIFICATION EXAM A full exam-prep home on the Study tab for the CST (NBSTSA), TS-C (NCCT), CRCST (HSPA), CSPDT (CBSPD) and CSFA (NBSTSA) exams: practice by area, timed exams matched to the real pass mark, and a daily five questions to keep your streak going. CASE LOG EVALUATOR Choose AST, NCCT or CC4SA, check off what you did in the room, and get an instant First Scrub / Second Scrub / Observation answer before you submit it to your program director. CAN'T FIND A SETUP? Ask for it from the Help Desk, 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, and on cstsetup.com. Download CSTSetup and put the whole back table in your pocket.

Screenshots

SMRTSCRUB4 screens
CSTSetup4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: CSTSetup at 50% against SMRTSCRUB's 0%. CSTSetup also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. SMRTSCRUB sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and CSTSetup sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CSTSetup holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of SMRTSCRUB's written reviews are positive against 50% of CSTSetup's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SMRTSCRUB ships an update every 10 days, CSTSetup weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
SMRTSCRUB versus CSTSetup: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMRTSCRUBCSTSetup
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)4.4 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
Best chart rank—#191 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSMRTSCRUB LLCCSTSetup

Customer experience

SMRTSCRUB

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

CSTSetup

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

SMRTSCRUB

Subscriptions4
  • Smrtscrub Premium$1.991 Month
  • Smrtscrub Premium$4.991 Month
  • Smrtscrub Premium$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Smrtscrub Premium$29.991 Year
2 purchases

CSTSetup

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

Questions

Is SMRTSCRUB free?
SMRTSCRUB is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CSTSetup free?
CSTSetup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SMRTSCRUB or CSTSetup?
CSTSetup is rated higher. SMRTSCRUB averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while CSTSetup averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do SMRTSCRUB or CSTSetup have ads?
Neither SMRTSCRUB nor CSTSetup shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SMRTSCRUB or CSTSetup?
SMRTSCRUB ships an update every 10 days, and CSTSetup weekly. Most recently, SMRTSCRUB was updated on October 8, 2026 and CSTSetup on October 16, 2026.

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