Study With Lily vs SimpleNursing
What SimpleNursing does well
SimpleNursing started as a YouTube channel by Nurse Mike Linares and grew into one of the most popular nursing education platforms. Their strength is visual learning: 1,200+ animated videos that use humor, mnemonics, and simplified explanations to make complex topics stick. They also offer 1,000+ printable study guides and 4,000+ practice questions. If you're a visual learner who needs concepts explained before practicing, SimpleNursing is strong at that.
Where Study With Lily is different
Practice-first, not video-first
SimpleNursing is built around watching videos. Study With Lily is built around doing practice questions. Research consistently shows that active recall (answering questions) produces stronger long-term retention than passive review (watching videos). Both have their place, but if your goal is exam readiness, practice is the faster path.
Your coursework becomes your prep
Upload your syllabus, lecture slides, or notes. Lily creates practice questions from what your professor actually taught. SimpleNursing has generic content that covers nursing topics broadly. Study With Lily gives you questions matched to your specific class. Study once, not twice.
A fraction of the cost
SimpleNursing NCLEX® plans start at $89/month. Study With Lily is $9.99/month. Six months of Study With Lily costs less than one month of SimpleNursing. Both offer multi-month discounts, but the gap remains significant at every duration.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Study With Lily | SimpleNursing |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $9.99/month | $89-$99/month (NCLEX® plans) |
| 6-month cost | ~$60 total | $192 total (Essentials) |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial, no credit card | 5-day limited access |
| Primary format | Adaptive practice questions | Video lectures + questions |
| Coursework Mode | Upload your syllabus, practice from your lectures | Not available |
| Video content | Not available | 1,200+ animated videos |
| Adaptive difficulty | Real-time, per-question | CAT readiness assessments |
| BowTie questions | Yes | Yes |
| Unfolding Case Studies | Yes | Yes |
| Question bank size | 1,200+ and growing | 4,000+ (platform-wide) |
| Study guides | Not available | 1,000+ visual guides |
| Body system tracking | 27 categories, gap dashboard | Performance tracking |
| Group study | Free multiplayer quiz | Not available |
| File uploads | PDF, DOCX, PPTX up to 50 MB | Not available |
Competitor information based on publicly available pricing and feature lists as of March 2026. Pricing and features may change. SimpleNursing's 4,000+ question count may include both Nursing School and NCLEX®-specific questions across the platform.
Who each tool is best for
Choose Study With Lily if:
- You learn best by doing practice questions, not watching videos
- You want practice questions from your actual course materials
- You need the most affordable NCLEX® prep option ($9.99/month)
- You want adaptive difficulty that targets your weak areas
- You want every Next Gen NCLEX® format including BowTie and Case Studies
Consider SimpleNursing if:
- You're a visual learner who needs concepts explained through video before practicing
- You want a large library of animated video lectures and printable study guides
- You want a pass guarantee (Elite plan)
- You prefer watching content over doing questions
Some students use both: a video platform for concept learning and a question bank for exam practice. Study With Lily pairs well with any video resource because it focuses on the practice side.
Learn more about Study With Lily
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Study With Lily is an independent study tool. NCLEX® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN®). SimpleNursing is a trademark of SimpleNursing LLC. Study With Lily is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN or SimpleNursing. Competitor pricing and features based on publicly available information as of March 2026 and may change. Questions are original practice items built with smart technology and validated for clinical accuracy. They are not derived from actual NCLEX® exam content.