3D Brain vs DSM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
3D Brain
Explore a 3D model of the human brain, rotating and zooming to examine 29 interactive structures. Learn about the function of each region, the effects of injury, and its role in mental illness. Detailed information includes case studies and research links.
- 3D brain model
- Interactive structures
- Region functions
- Brain injury effects
- Mental illness involvement
- Case studies
- Research links
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Use your touch screen to rotate and zoom around 29 interactive structures. Discover how each brain region functions, what happens when it is injured, and how it is involved in mental illness. Each detailed structure comes with information on functions, disorders, brain damage, case studies, and links to modern research. Created by Vivid Apps and AXS Biomedical Animation Studio for the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center. 3D Brain was produced for the Genes to Cognition (G2C) Online website funded by the Dana Foundation and Hewlett Foundation.
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.
- Personalized study plan
- 500+ practice questions
- Strength and weakness tracking
- Detailed test statistics
- Community score comparison
- Updated for DSM-5-TR
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DSM at 4.7 against 3D Brain's 3.6. 3D Brain's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 33%) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. 3D Brain sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DSM sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
DSM holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 145 and 308 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of 3D Brain'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.
3D Brain ships an update every 2 months, DSM every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 3D Brain | DSM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (145 ratings) | 4.7 (308 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.5% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 145 | 308 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 6.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 70 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | MastrAPI |
Customer experience
3D Brain
DSM
Bugs and requests
3D Brain
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on launch after upgrade
- Purchased premium version not functioning
- Laggy performance and blurry images
- No way to exit app other than force closing
Requested features
4 requests- More brain structures and regions
- Improved 3D navigation and controls
- Ability to label and annotate the brain
- Quizzes and interactive learning features
DSM
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
3D Brain
- 3D Brain HQ$0.99
DSM
- Monthly with Trial7 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Lifetime$99.99
Questions
Is 3D Brain free?
Is DSM free?
Which has better reviews, 3D Brain or DSM?
Do 3D Brain or DSM have ads?
Which is updated more often, 3D Brain or DSM?
Other comparisons
