Comparison

Psych Lab 101 vs DSM

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

Head to head
About

Psych Lab 101

Explore 35 psychology experiments and 11 visual illusions. Compare your results to classic findings and adjust parameters to see how perception changes. Includes background information and options for class data analysis.

Highlights
  • 35 psychology experiments
  • 11 adjustable visual illusions
  • Background information and references
  • Multiple experiment versions
  • Class data analysis upload
  • Interactive parameter adjustment
Features
Read full description

The perfect companion to any introductory psychology course, Psych Lab 101 contains 35 well-known cognitive and clinical psychology experiments you can try yourself. See how you compare to classic results - figure out how long it takes to mentally scan through groups of objects in the Sternberg scanning paradigm, see if words are recognized faster than letters in a word superiority task, try to spot subtle changes in the change blindness paradigm, and much more! Also included are 11 visual illusions that can be adjusted in real-time, so you can see how size, speed, orientation, or other factors influence your perception. Each experiment includes background information with references, history, and a description of methods. In addition, you can try several versions of each experiment to experience an effect with different stimuli, timing, or conditions. Students can upload their data for automatic combined analysis with the rest of their class. Psych Lab 101 contains the following experiments. Attention and Perception: Change Blindness Choice Reaction Time Dot Probe Dot Probe with images Global Precedence Flanker Compatibility Task Mackworth Clock Test Numerical Stroop Perceptual Matching Simple Reaction Time Spatial Cueing Stop Signal Task Vigilance Visual Search Visual Search (Shapes) Learning and Memory: Affective Priming Dual N-Back Match to Sample N-Back Pitch Memory Semantic Priming (Numbers) Stereotype Priming Sternberg Scanning Visual Patterns Test Common Clinical Tests: AX-CPT Balloon Analog Risk Task Berg's Card Sorting Task CPT-X Go-NoGo Task Iowa Gambling Task IVA-CPT Oddball Task (Auditory) Oddball Task (Visual) Language: Dual Lexical Decision Word Superiority Effect Attention and Perception: Ambiguous Quartet Flash-Lag Effect Hering Illusion Hermann Grid Induced Grating Nesting Squares Ponzo Illusion Scintillating Grid Stepping Feet Illusion Stereokinetic Effect Translating Diamond

About

DSM

Prepare for the DSM-5 exam with a comprehensive mobile study guide. It offers practice questions, personalized study plans, and detailed performance tracking to boost your confidence and improve diagnostic skills.

Highlights
  • Personalized study plan
  • 500+ practice questions
  • Strength and weakness tracking
  • Detailed test statistics
  • Community score comparison
  • Updated for DSM-5-TR
Features
Read full description

Updated for the 2026 DSM-5 exam blueprint and DSM-5-TR refresh. Pass your DSM-5 exam with flying colors! Boost your confidence in passing the first time with our mobile app and a personal study plan based on your current skill and requirements. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health. Their dedication and hard work have yielded an authoritative volume that defines and classifies mental disorders in order to improve diagnoses, treatment, and research. Key features: - Choose from different exams - Practice with 500+ questions written by instructors and expert tutors - Track your strengths and weaknesses within Stats section of the app - Study detailed statistics of every test you take - Compare your score to the community average for almost any type of exam - - - - Purchases, subscriptions and terms You need to buy lifetime access or subscribe to get access to all features, courses and questions. The cost of the purchase is charged to your iTunes account. Subscriptions are auto-renewable and are billed at the rate and period selected depending on the subscription plan. Users’ accounts are charged for auto-renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions can be managed and auto-renewal can be turned off in Account Settings in iTunes after the purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of use: https://mastrapi.com/terms Privacy policy: https://mastrapi.com/policy

Screenshots

Psych Lab 1014 screens
DSM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DSM at 4.7 against Psych Lab 101's 2.5. DSM also leads on ratings volume (308 vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 13 months). Psych Lab 101's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (50% vs 33%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. DSM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Psych Lab 101 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DSM holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DSM has 308 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Psych Lab 101's written reviews are positive against 33% of DSM's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Psych Lab 101 ships an update every 13 months, DSM every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Psych Lab 101 versus DSM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPsych Lab 101DSM
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (2 ratings)4.7 (308 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings2308 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNeurobehavioral Systems, Inc.MastrAPI

Customer experience

Psych Lab 101

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

DSM

All ratings308 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

Psych Lab 101

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DSM

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly with Trial7 Days trial$24.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Psych Lab 101 free?
Psych Lab 101 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DSM free?
DSM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Psych Lab 101 or DSM?
DSM is rated higher. Psych Lab 101 averages 2.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while DSM averages 4.7 from 308 ratings.
Do Psych Lab 101 or DSM have ads?
Neither Psych Lab 101 nor DSM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Psych Lab 101 or DSM?
Psych Lab 101 ships an update every 13 months, and DSM every 4 months. Most recently, Psych Lab 101 was updated on October 7, 2026 and DSM on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons