Kaplan vs Simple Nursing:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Simple Nursing had more branded searches than Kaplan among NCLEX prep courses in the United States. Simple Nursing had about 49,500 branded searches, while Kaplan had 1,900. Simple Nursing made up 46.8% of all NCLEX prep course searches we track, and Kaplan accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about NCLEX prep courses, Kaplan appeared in three of the five answers and Simple Nursing in two. Kaplan was mentioned before Simple Nursing in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Simple Nursing, about 26 searches for every 1 for Kaplan
Who does AI mention more?
Kaplan, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Simple Nursing in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Kaplan, named ahead of Simple Nursing in 2 of 3 answers
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Top NCLEX prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kaplan was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Simple Nursing was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Kaplan was listed before Simple Nursing in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Archer Review5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
UWorld5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Kaplan3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Simple Nursing2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Hurst Review2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
ATI1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Level Up RN0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NURSING.com0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NurseAchieve0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about NCLEX prep courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best NCLEX prep course?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which NCLEX question bank should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How should I study for the NCLEX in a month?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“nclex prep”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“nclex review course”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.
Is Kaplan or Simple Nursing more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kaplan and Simple Nursing by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine NCLEX prep course brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Simple Nursing, Kaplan. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Simple Nursing | Archer Review | Level Up RN | UWorld | Hurst Review | NURSING.com | NurseAchieve | Kaplan | ATI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.2% | 21.9% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2% | 1.5% | 0.26% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.1% | 23.5% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.3% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 2% | 1.7% | 0.42% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 0.87% | 1.7% | 0.42% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.8% | 20.7% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.33% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.4% | 23.1% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 4.1% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.37% |
| Apr 2026 | 45% | 22.5% | 9% | 9% | 4.9% | 6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 0.35% |
| May 2026 | 33.7% | 32.6% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 33.9% | 6.5% | 11.9% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 0.87% | 2.9% | 0.39% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.8% | 29% | 7.7% | 11.6% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 0.84% | 2.2% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.3% | 27.8% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 5% | 4.1% | 0.99% | 2.1% | 0.36% |
| Sep 2026 | 46.8% | 23.3% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
How has the Kaplan and Simple Nursing comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Simple Nursing was ahead of Kaplan in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kaplan’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States moved from 1.5% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Simple Nursing’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States moved from 49.2% to 46.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for United States NCLEX prep courses in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, NurseAchieve overtook Kaplan to rank 7th among NCLEX prep courses in the United States, with 2.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Simple Nursing gained share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States, from 37.3% to 46.8%.
Kaplan’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.9% to 1.8% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kaplan’s and Simple Nursing’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Kaplan
1 branded search term
- kaplan nclex
Simple Nursing
1 branded search term
- simple nursing
Other head-to-heads among NCLEX prep courses
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