DART Sim vs UPDATE SIM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DART Sim
This app transforms your iPad into an ECG rhythm generator, defibrillator, and patient monitor simulator. Control vital signs remotely, run pre-set or custom scenarios, and deliver medications for realistic medical training.
- ECG rhythm generator
- Defibrillator simulator
- Patient monitor simulator
- Remote control via iPhone/iPad
- Pre-set and custom scenarios
- Medication delivery
- X-Ray panel
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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.
UPDATE SIM
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: UPDATE SIM at $49.99 against DART Sim's $249.99. UPDATE SIM also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). 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
DART Sim costs $249.99 and UPDATE SIM $49.99 up front. DART Sim sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. UPDATE SIM asks for nothing beyond the download.
DART Sim ships an update every 5 weeks, UPDATE SIM daily. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DART Sim | UPDATE SIM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.99 | $49.99 — better |
| Rating | 2.7 (29 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 29 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | STAR CPR San Diego | Osvaldo Campos Carvajal |
In-app purchases
DART Sim
- 12Lead- View all 25 rhythms in 12Lead$17.99
- X-Ray$17.99
- Deliver medications & CodeTrack student performance$17.99
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- 33 Scenarios & Create your own scenarios!$19.99
- Connect your iPhone/iPad to DART Sim via Bluetooth$19.99
UPDATE SIM
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DART Sim free?
Is UPDATE SIM free?
Do DART Sim or UPDATE SIM have ads?
Which is updated more often, DART Sim or UPDATE SIM?
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