Comparison

CSTSetup vs ScrubLink

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

Head to head
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.

About

ScrubLink

Access and share surgeon preference cards with a collaborative network. Search for surgeons and procedures, view shared notes, and create your own cards with visual aids and AI assistance. Designed for surgical technologists to organize and find essential case preparation information.

Highlights
  • Surgeon directory search
  • Preference card search by surgeon/procedure
  • Shared procedure notes
  • Create and update preference cards
  • Private card copies
  • Setup photos
  • AI-assisted card creation
Features
Read full description

ScrubLink is a collaborative surgeon preference card network built for Surgical Technologists. Quickly search for surgeons and procedures, view shared preference cards, and access practical procedure notes and setup information contributed by the ScrubLink community. With ScrubLink, you can: • Search the national surgeon directory • Find preference cards by surgeon and procedure • View shared procedure notes and setup information • Create and update preference cards • Keep private copies of preference cards • Add setup photos for quick visual reference • Use AI-assisted scanning to help create preference cards from existing information • Save frequently used cards for easier access ScrubLink is designed to make preference information easier to find, organize, and share—whether you are preparing for a case, working with an unfamiliar surgeon, or contributing information that may help another Surgical Technologist. SUBSCRIPTION ScrubLink requires a subscription for full access. Eligible new subscribers receive a 7-day free trial. After the trial, the subscription automatically renews at $2.99 per month unless canceled. Subscriptions can be managed or canceled through your Apple ID subscription settings. ScrubLink is intended as a professional reference and organizational tool. Information contributed by users should be verified against current facility policies, surgeon preferences, and established standards of practice before use. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CSTSetup4 screens
ScrubLink4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: CSTSetup at freemium against ScrubLink's subscription. CSTSetup also leads on chart position (#181 vs unranked) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). ScrubLink's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 and ScrubLink sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ScrubLink holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CSTSetup has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
CSTSetup versus ScrubLink: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCSTSetupScrubLink
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (9 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#181 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCSTSetupSurgical Tech Review LLC

Customer experience

CSTSetup

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

ScrubLink

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CSTSetup

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

ScrubLink

Subscriptions1
  • ScrubLink Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month

Questions

Is CSTSetup free?
CSTSetup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScrubLink free?
ScrubLink is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CSTSetup or ScrubLink?
ScrubLink is rated higher. CSTSetup averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while ScrubLink averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do CSTSetup or ScrubLink have ads?
Neither CSTSetup nor ScrubLink shows ads.

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