Comparison

DART Sim vs UPDATE SIM

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

Head to head
About

DART Sim

This app transforms an iPad into a realistic cardiac monitor and defibrillator for medical simulation training. It offers instructors precise control over patient vitals and provides learners with an authentic device experience, complete with alarms, waveforms, and defibrillator functions.

Highlights
  • Realistic cardiac waveforms (ECG, SpO2, etc.)
  • 37 controllable patient rhythms
  • Simulated defibrillator and pacing workflow
  • AED mode with voice prompts
  • CPR feedback and code timer
  • Multiple device interface options
  • 122 built-in training scenarios
Features
Read full description

Turn an iPad 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. 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. Select energy, charge, stand clear, shock. Synchronized cardioversion with sense markers that waits for the R wave. • 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. • Three device looks. Keep the classic DART Sim monitor, or switch to a face modelled on the Stryker LIFEPAK 35 or the ZOLL X Series Advanced, each with its own energy ladder, pacing ranges and AED protocol. The patient, scenarios and controls are identical in all three, so one case works for every department. • 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. 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. You can also create tabs to organize medications 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. • Works on any iPad from the 10.2-inch to the 13-inch Pro, 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 iPad, 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. LIFEPAK is a trademark of Stryker. ZOLL and X Series are trademarks of ZOLL Medical Corporation. DART Sim is not affiliated with or endorsed by either company.

About

UPDATE SIM

Features
Read full description

New Pro skin: a more refined presentation with more room for waveforms. Adaptive design for iPhone Duo, alongside iPhone and iPad. Carry a simulated patient monitor, defibrillator, and transcutaneous pacer on your iPhone or iPad. UPDATE SIM helps instructors, universities, and simulation centers run ACLS, PALS, and emergency scenarios with a portable, bilingual tool that works without an internet connection. IDEAL FOR • Resuscitation and emergency instructors • Clinical simulation centers • Universities and healthcare programs • Hospital and prehospital teams KEY FEATURES • Vital signs monitor with ECG, SpO₂, blood pressure, and capnography • 38 cardiac rhythms for varied clinical scenarios • Defibrillation, synchronized cardioversion, and transcutaneous pacing • More than 100 preconfigured scenarios, including ACLS, PALS, PREHOSP, MAVACRIT, OBSTACRIT, EPC, and AEROCRIT • More than 50 medications with simulated physiological effects • Chest compressions with visual feedback • Spanish and English interface • Works without an internet connection • Layouts adapted for iPhone and iPad A PORTABLE TOOL FOR TEACHING AND TRAINING Organize scenarios, change vital signs, and use defibrillation and pacing functions from a single app. UPDATE SIM is designed to support practical, repeatable educational sessions. Download UPDATE SIM and bring clinical simulation to your next training room. For education and simulation only. Not a medical device and not intended to diagnose, monitor, or treat real patients. UPDATE SIM does not claim official affiliation with or certification by AHA, NAEMT, or other organizations.

Screenshots

UPDATE SIM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: UPDATE SIM at $49.99 against DART Sim's $249.99. UPDATE SIM also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases 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

DART Sim costs $249.99 and UPDATE SIM $49.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DART Sim ships an update monthly, UPDATE SIM every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
DART Sim versus UPDATE SIM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDART SimUPDATE SIM
Price$249.99$49.99 — better
Rating2.7 (29 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews27.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings29 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.416.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB7 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSTAR CPR San DiegoOsvaldo Campos Carvajal

In-app purchases

None

DART Sim

No in-app purchases

None

UPDATE SIM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DART Sim free?
DART Sim costs $249.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is UPDATE SIM free?
UPDATE SIM costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do DART Sim or UPDATE SIM have ads?
Neither DART Sim nor UPDATE SIM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DART Sim or UPDATE SIM?
DART Sim ships an update monthly, and UPDATE SIM every 2 days. Most recently, DART Sim was updated on November 6, 2026 and UPDATE SIM on November 10, 2026.

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