Comparison

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab vs Solve the Outbreak

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

Head to head
About

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

Explore the science and methods for identifying bacteria using DNA sequences. This interactive virtual lab simulates modern techniques applicable in research and forensics. It's designed for high school biology students and science enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • Learn DNA sequencing techniques
  • Identify different bacteria types
  • Simulates real-world lab methods
  • Applicable to research and forensics
  • Interactive virtual lab environment
Features
Read full description

Learn about the science and techniques used to identify different types of bacteria based on their DNA sequences. Not long ago, DNA sequencing was a time-consuming, tedious process. With readily available commercial equipment and kits, it is now routine. The techniques used in this lab are applicable in a wide variety of settings, including scientific research and forensic labs. This app is geared for high school biology students and anyone interested in the biological sciences. The Bacterial ID Virtual Lab was first released in 2000 as a browser-based interactive lab. Since its inception, it and the other HHMI Virtual Labs have won several awards, including the Pirelli INTERNETional Award's top prize in 2002. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a nonprofit medical research organization that ranks as one of the nation’s largest philanthropies. HHMI plays a powerful role in advancing biomedical research and science education. HHMI brings the latest biomedical research into the classroom with the award-winning BioInteractive website and the Holiday Lectures on Science. BioInteractive features free resources for science education, including animations, videos, interactive features, and classroom materials. The Holiday Lectures on Science feature world-class scientists who bring their leading-edge research to the classroom.

About

Solve the Outbreak

Become a Disease Detective and solve simulated outbreaks by analyzing clues and data. Make critical decisions to contain diseases and save lives, earning badges and climbing ranks. Learn about real-world disease investigation in an engaging, game-like experience.

Highlights
  • Solve simulated outbreaks
  • Analyze clues and data
  • Make critical decisions
  • Earn badges and ranks
  • Learn about diseases
  • Challenge friends
Features
Read full description

Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to get clues and analyze data to solve the outbreak and save lives! In this fun app, you get to be a Disease Detective. Do you quarantine the village? Interview people who are sick? Run more lab tests? The better your answers, the higher your score - and the quicker you’ll climb the ranks to become a decorated Disease Detective. In level 1, you’ll start as a Trainee and earn badges by solving scenarios — with the goal of earning the top rank: Disease Detective. Unlock Level 2 by mastering all the 12 outbreaks of Level 1. Then earn honors by solving new and more challenging scenarios. Earn recognitions like Surveillance and Treatment Honors. New outbreaks happen every day and CDC's Disease Detectives are on the front lines — working 24/7 to save lives and protect people. When a new outbreak occurs, Disease Detectives are sent in to figure out how the outbreak started before it spreads further. In this app, you'll also: • Learn about diseases and outbreaks in an engaging way. • See how CDC's Disease Detectives save lives around the world. • Have the option to post your scores on Facebook or Twitter and challenge your friends to play!

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Solve the Outbreak at 4.6 against Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's 3.7. Solve the Outbreak also leads on review sentiment (96% vs 75%) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 14 months). Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Solve the Outbreak holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solve the Outbreak has 60 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Bacterial ID Virtual Lab's written reviews are positive against 96% of Solve the Outbreak's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab ships an update every 14 months, Solve the Outbreak every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab versus Solve the Outbreak: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBacterial ID Virtual LabSolve the Outbreak
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (9 ratings)4.6 (60 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews95.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings960 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB258 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHoward Hughes Medical InstituteCenters For Disease Control and Prevention

Customer experience

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

All ratings9 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%

Solve the Outbreak

All ratings60 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews141 reviews
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.7%
Negative3.5%

Bugs and requests

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Solve the Outbreak

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when attempting to reset scores in settings
  • Old scores and progress remain after reset attempt
  • Accidental question selection due to bottom screen placement

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add more outbreak cases and scenarios
  • Create harder difficulty levels for advanced players
  • Include visual aids and images for better understanding
  • Add background music and sound effects
  • Implement branching storylines with different outcomes
Show 5 more
  • Create Level 3 with more complex cases
  • Add ability for users to create custom outbreaks
  • Improve text size and readability on smaller screens
  • Release app on iPhone in addition to iPad
  • Include more historical and special plague scenarios

In-app purchases

None

Bacterial ID Virtual Lab

No in-app purchases

None

Solve the Outbreak

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bacterial ID Virtual Lab free?
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Solve the Outbreak free?
Solve the Outbreak is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or Solve the Outbreak?
Solve the Outbreak is rated higher. Bacterial ID Virtual Lab averages 3.7 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Solve the Outbreak averages 4.6 from 60 ratings.
Do Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or Solve the Outbreak have ads?
Neither Bacterial ID Virtual Lab nor Solve the Outbreak shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab or Solve the Outbreak?
Bacterial ID Virtual Lab ships an update every 14 months, and Solve the Outbreak every 5 months. Most recently, Bacterial ID Virtual Lab was updated on June 4, 2026 and Solve the Outbreak on September 20, 2026.

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