NetCE and CEUfast are two of the most popular online CE providers for nurses. Both offer ANCC-accredited courses and unlimited annual subscriptions, but they differ in pricing, course depth, and state coverage. If you're trying to decide between them, here's a practical, side-by-side comparison based on what actually matters for your renewal.
NetCE at a Glance
NetCE has been providing continuing education since 1998 and is one of the most established CE providers in the healthcare space. Their nursing catalog is broad and deep, with content developed by subject-matter experts and regularly updated.
- Pricing: $85/year for an unlimited subscription. Individual courses are also available for one-time purchase.
- Accreditation: ANCC-accredited (American Nurses Credentialing Center), the gold standard for nursing CE acceptance across all 50 states.
- Course library: 100+ nursing-specific courses covering clinical topics, pharmacology, ethics, pain management, and more.
- State coverage: NetCE offers pre-built state-specific CE packages that bundle the mandatory topics required by each state board. This is especially useful if your state has multiple required topics and you want everything in one place.
- Format: Self-paced text-based courses with post-tests. Some courses include video content. Completion certificates are generated instantly.
- APRN support: NetCE offers pharmacology and prescriptive authority courses that satisfy advanced practice renewal requirements in many states.
CEUfast at a Glance
CEUfast positions itself as an affordable, no-nonsense CE provider. The platform is straightforward — you subscribe, pick your courses, and complete them at your own pace. It's popular among nurses looking for a budget-friendly way to knock out their CE requirements quickly.
- Pricing: $39/year for an unlimited subscription. This is one of the lowest annual rates among accredited nursing CE providers.
- Accreditation: ANCC-accredited, so courses are accepted in virtually every state.
- Course library: Covers a solid range of nursing CE topics including opioid education, human trafficking awareness, infection control, domestic violence, and other state-mandated subjects.
- Mandatory topic coverage: CEUfast is particularly strong in mandatory topic categories. If your state requires specific courses in areas like opioids, human trafficking, or infection prevention, CEUfast has you covered at a low cost.
- Format: Self-paced online courses with quizzes. Clean, simple interface. Instant certificate downloads upon completion.
- Mobile friendly: Courses work well on phones and tablets, making it easy to complete CE during downtime.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | NetCE | CEUfast |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Price | $85/year | $39/year |
| Accreditation | ANCC | ANCC |
| Nursing Courses | 100+ | Smaller library |
| Format | Text + some video | Text-based, self-paced |
| State CE Packages | Yes, pre-built bundles | Manual course selection |
| Opioid CE | Yes | Yes |
| Human Trafficking CE | Yes | Yes |
| Infection Control CE | Yes | Yes |
| APRN/Pharmacology | Yes, extensive | Limited |
| Instant Certificates | Yes | Yes |
Whichever provider you choose, track it all in one place
RenewRN logs CE hours from any provider, monitors mandatory topics, and sends smart renewal reminders.
Which Provider Is Right for You?
Both NetCE and CEUfast are legitimate, ANCC-accredited providers. The right choice depends on your specific situation.
Choose CEUfast if You Want to Save Money
At $39/year compared to NetCE's $85/year, CEUfast costs less than half the price. If your primary goal is to meet your state's CE requirements affordably, CEUfast delivers solid value. The mandatory topic courses are well-covered, the interface is straightforward, and you get unlimited access to everything for the subscription price.
CEUfast is an especially good fit for RNs in states with straightforward CE requirements — a set number of contact hours with a few mandatory topics. You can complete everything you need without overpaying.
Choose NetCE for Breadth and State Packages
NetCE's larger course library and pre-built state CE packages make it the better choice if you want a guided, comprehensive experience. Instead of figuring out which individual courses meet your state's requirements, NetCE bundles them for you. This saves time and reduces the risk of missing a mandatory topic.
The extra $46/year also gets you access to a wider range of clinical topics, which matters if you want your CE to genuinely expand your knowledge rather than just check a box.
Choose NetCE if You're an APRN
Advanced practice registered nurses — nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives — often have additional CE requirements including pharmacology hours and prescriptive authority courses. NetCE offers a more robust selection for these advanced practice needs. CEUfast's APRN-specific offerings are more limited.
Choose CEUfast for Specific Mandatory Topics
If your state has specific mandatory topic requirements — opioid education, human trafficking awareness, infection control, domestic violence — and that's primarily what you need from a CE provider, CEUfast covers these categories well at a lower price point. You may not need NetCE's broader library if your CE needs are focused on meeting these specific mandates.
Multi-State Nurses
If you hold licenses in multiple states, NetCE's state-specific packages can simplify the process of tracking different requirements across different boards. However, at $85/year for unlimited access, the cost difference may not matter as much when you're managing multiple renewals.
Either way, keeping track of which courses satisfy which state's requirements can get complicated fast. A dedicated CE tracking tool helps you stay organized across all your state licenses.
What Neither Provider Tracks for You
Both NetCE and CEUfast provide certificates for their own courses, but neither tracks your overall CE progress across multiple providers. If you take some courses through your employer, some through a CE provider, and some through free sources like the CDC, you need a separate system to see your full picture.
That's where a tool like RenewRN comes in. Log CE hours from any provider — NetCE, CEUfast, employer training, free courses — and see exactly where you stand against your state's requirements at any time. No spreadsheets, no guessing.
How They Compare to Other Major Providers
NetCE and CEUfast aren't the only options worth considering. Here's how the broader paid-CE market shapes up:
- Wild Iris Medical Education: Pay-per-course model ($18–49 per course; 2 free courses for new users). Good if you only need a handful of specific topics and don't want a yearly subscription. ANCC-accredited.
- Nurse.com: Standard membership at $49.99/year (limited access) or Premium at $149.99/year (full library, 1,000+ courses). Strong for nurses who also want career content beyond just CE.
- Lippincott NursingCenter: Pay-per-course based on peer-reviewed journal articles (~$13–22 per CE activity). Best if you're drawn to evidence-based content from clinical journals.
- Elite Learning: State-specific bundles (~$39–60) plus an unlimited annual membership (~$99/year). Strong for nurses who want a state-specific package similar to NetCE.
Audit Readiness: A Quiet Differentiator
Both NetCE and CEUfast generate instant certificates, but their long-term documentation features differ:
- NetCE stores your transcript indefinitely on your account. You can re-download certificates years later, which is valuable if you're audited and need to produce records from a past renewal cycle.
- CEUfast also maintains your account history, but some users have reported needing to download certificates promptly after completion (rather than relying on long-term retrieval). Always download immediately and save to your own records, regardless of provider.
- CE Broker integration: Both providers report to CE Broker for states that require it. Verify the report posted correctly to your CE Broker account before relying on it for renewal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will both providers' courses count in my state?
In nearly every state, yes. ANCC accreditation is widely accepted. However, a few states (notably California for implicit bias, Texas and Florida for some mandatory topics) require specific board approval beyond ANCC. Verify your specific course's acceptance before counting it.
What if I only need a few hours — should I still subscribe?
Both providers sell individual courses. CEUfast's individual course prices are typically $5–15 each, often making the $39 annual subscription a better deal as soon as you need 3+ courses. NetCE sells individual courses too; the $85 subscription pays off around 6+ courses depending on selection.
Are there mobile apps?
Both platforms work via mobile-optimized web browsers. Neither has a dedicated mobile app for course-taking, but both let you complete courses from a phone or tablet during downtime.
Can my employer reimburse my subscription?
Many employers offer CE reimbursement up to a set annual amount. Both NetCE and CEUfast subscriptions typically qualify. Save your receipt immediately and submit per your employer's reimbursement process.
Which has more APRN-specific content?
NetCE has a more substantial APRN library — pharmacology, prescriptive authority, advanced clinical decision-making. CEUfast's APRN content is more limited. APRNs with significant CE requirements often find NetCE worth the premium.
If a course doesn't auto-report to CE Broker, what do I do?
Manually upload the certificate to your CE Broker account. Both providers issue downloadable PDF certificates. CE Broker accepts manual uploads for most state boards. Verify acceptance with your specific state.
The Bottom Line
Both NetCE and CEUfast are solid, accredited choices for nursing CE. CEUfast wins on price at $39/year, making it the budget-friendly pick for nurses with straightforward CE needs. NetCE wins on depth, state packaging, and APRN support at $85/year, making it better for nurses who want more course variety or need guided state-specific bundles.
Many nurses use both at different points — CEUfast for mandatory topic courses where any ANCC-accredited course will do, and NetCE for deeper clinical content or when they need a state-specific package to cover all their requirements at once.
No matter which provider you choose, make sure you're tracking all your CE hours in one place so nothing slips through the cracks before renewal day.