Comparison

DART Sim for iPhone vs ActivSim

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

Head to head
About

DART Sim for iPhone

This educational application simulates a cardiac monitor and ECG rhythm simulator, allowing users to practice various medical procedures like defibrillation, capnography, and x-rays. It's designed for instructors and students to hone their skills using their iPhone.

Highlights
  • 26 cardiac rhythms
  • 12-lead rhythm viewing/printing
  • 18 capnography waveforms
  • 20 trauma/medical x-rays
  • ACLS, PALS, and NRP scenarios
  • Defibrillation simulation
  • Medication administration practice
Features
Read full description

Turn an iPhone into a realistic cardiac monitor and defibrillator for simulation training. DART Sim gives instructors a patient they can control, and gives learners a device that looks, sounds and behaves like the one in the room. Now completely rebuilt for the phone. WHY INSTRUCTORS CHOOSE DART SIM • Realistic from the first beat. Four waveform lanes with ECG, arterial pressure, pulse oximetry and capnography. Pulse tone that drops in pitch with saturation. Alarms that blink and sound. Values that read "--" until the patient is connected, and go flat when the rhythm is pulseless. • 37 rhythms at your fingertips. From normal sinus to VF, torsades, heart blocks, pacing capture and post-shock conversion. Choose the rhythm the patient converts to after the next shock, or keep them in arrest. • A real defibrillator workflow. Press THERAPY and the monitor becomes a defibrillator: select energy, charge, stand clear, shock. Synchronized cardioversion with sense markers that waits for the R wave. Press MONITOR to go back to the full-screen monitor. • Transcutaneous pacing you control. Demand pacing with a capture threshold you set: decide the output at which the patient captures, or make them refuse to capture at any output. Learners have to find capture on the ECG, not assume it. • AED mode. Push ANALYZE and the device talks learners through STAND CLEAR, SHOCK ADVISED or NO SHOCK ADVISED, charging, and a CPR interval with metronome, following manufacturer energy protocols. • CPR feedback. Compression rate, chest compression fraction, depth and release, with a code timer that keeps running through pauses so debriefs have numbers to point at. Pair a SimCPR chest pad over Bluetooth to see the learner's real rate and depth live. • Teach rhythm interpretation on screen. Tap the ECG for a true-scale paper grid or a printed-strip view, freeze the trace, then measure intervals with on-screen calipers and march lines. • Made for the phone. Full-width waveforms, large energy and pacer keys you can work with a thumb, and a monitor-only screen that fills the display until you call up the therapy controls. BUILT FOR THE CLASSROOM • 122 built-in scenarios covering ACLS, PALS and NRP, each stepping rhythm, vitals, capnogram and chest X-ray on a timer or at the instructor's pace. Change the rhythm by hand at any point and the scenario carries on. Build and save your own in the scenario editor. • Medication log with 38 drugs, routes and doses, plus an automatic code record of every rhythm change, shock, pacing change and NIBP reading for debriefing. Add your own medications or actions, and organize them in tabs by course. • 12-lead tracings for 26 rhythms, 20 chest X-rays, and your own photos from the camera roll attached to any rhythm. • Instructor controls that stay out of sight. A discreet gear menu, a hardware keyboard shortcut card, and the free DART Sim Remote app so you can run the patient from across the room over Bluetooth. • Built-in User Manual and keyboard shortcut card that you can read in the app, print, or share. • In English or Spanish, following the phone's language, with units by country: °F or °C, mmHg or kPa, cm or inches. • Works on any iPhone, in landscape, with no account, no subscription and no internet connection required. DART Sim is used by fire departments, EMS agencies, nursing programs and hospital education teams to run codes without a $20,000 simulator. One phone, one app, every rhythm. FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION ONLY. DART Sim is a simulator, not a medical device. It does not measure anything from a real person and must not be used for clinical diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of patients.

About

ActivSim

This educational platform offers interactive simulations for mastering Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) algorithms and ECG interpretation. It's designed for healthcare professionals, students, and emergency responders to practice critical skills.

Highlights
  • ECG waveform simulation
  • ACLS algorithm practice
  • ECG pattern recognition
  • Vital signs monitoring
  • Defibrillation simulation
  • Cardioversion simulation
Features
Read full description

ActivSim is an educational platform designed to enhance your understanding of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) algorithms and ECG interpretation. Whether you're a healthcare provider, medical student, or emergency response team member, this app provides an interactive learning experience that helps you master ACLS skills. Key Features: • ECG waveform simulation • ACLS algorithm practice • ECG patterns including: – Normal sinus rhythm – Atrial fibrillation – Ventricular tachycardia – Asystole • Vital signs monitoring • Defibrillation and cardioversion simulation Perfect for: • Healthcare providers maintaining ACLS certification • Medical students learning ACLS • Emergency response teams practicing ACLS megacode • Paramedics and EMTs • Medical educators teaching ACLS Download ActivSim today and take your ACLS training to the next level. Practice interpreting ECG rhythms and implementing ACLS algorithms anywhere, anytime. By using this app, you agree to Apple’s Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DART Sim for iPhone4 screens
ActivSim4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ActivSim at 100% against DART Sim for iPhone's 0%. ActivSim also leads on price (Free vs $99.99) and rating (5.0 vs 3.3). DART Sim for iPhone's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On ads 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

ActivSim is free to download; DART Sim for iPhone costs $99.99 up front. ActivSim sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. DART Sim for iPhone asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ActivSim holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of DART Sim for iPhone's written reviews are positive against 100% of ActivSim's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DART Sim for iPhone ships an update every 56 months, ActivSim every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
DART Sim for iPhone versus ActivSim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDART Sim for iPhoneActivSim
Price$99.99Free — better
Rating3.3 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 56 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB156 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSTAR CPR San DiegoActiv Life Limited

Customer experience

DART Sim for iPhone

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

ActivSim

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

DART Sim for iPhone

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ActivSim

Subscriptions2
  • Pro$4.991 Month
  • Annual$44.991 Year

Questions

Is DART Sim for iPhone free?
DART Sim for iPhone costs $99.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ActivSim free?
ActivSim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DART Sim for iPhone or ActivSim?
ActivSim is rated higher. DART Sim for iPhone averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while ActivSim averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do DART Sim for iPhone or ActivSim have ads?
Neither DART Sim for iPhone nor ActivSim shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DART Sim for iPhone or ActivSim?
DART Sim for iPhone ships an update every 56 months, and ActivSim every 3 months. Most recently, DART Sim for iPhone was updated on October 30, 2026 and ActivSim on October 30, 2026.

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