Case Files vs PathoPlay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Case Files
This app helps medical students learn and review physiology by presenting 51 high-yield clinical cases. It reinforces the connection between basic science and clinical medicine, improving diagnostic skills and exam performance. A free sample case is included, with more available via subscription.
- 51 high-yield clinical cases
- USMLE-style questions
- Interactive learning system
- Study, Exam, and Bookmark modes
- Progress tracking
- Notes section per case
- iCloud support
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Master Physiology Through Real Clinical Cases - Learn physiology in the context of real patients. Case Files: Physiology helps you understand how systems work and connect core concepts to clinical scenarios—so the material finally makes sense. Understand, Don’t Memorize -Physiology can feel abstract and overwhelming. This app helps you break down complex systems into clear cause-and-effect relationships you can actually understand and retain. Built for Exam Success -Prepare for Step 1 and course exams with focused, high-yield content: -50+ clinical cases -Board-style questions and explanations -Core physiology concepts and definitions -Reinforced conceptual understanding Learn Faster, Think Smarter -Study mode with instant feedback -Exam mode for timed practice -Bookmark and track progress -Learn in short, focused sessions Trusted Case Files® System -Real-world clinical scenarios -Proven case-based learning -Designed for medical students Get Started -Download to try a sample case. Unlock full access to master physiology. Expanded Apps Terms of Use: https://expandedapps.com/terms-of-use/ Expanded Apps Privacy Policy: https://expandedapps.com/privacy-policy/ Second Edition
PathoPlay
Learn disease and drug mechanisms through interactive puzzles. Connect molecular cascades, identify drug targets, and understand how disruptions lead to illness across 10 body systems. Offers daily challenges and offline access.
- Mechanism-based learning
- Interactive puzzles
- Disease and drug tracing
- Daily challenges
- Offline access
- 10 body systems covered
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PathoPlay teaches pathophysiology and pharmacology by mechanism, not memorization. Trace how diseases start, how drugs treat them, and how the same molecular cascades recur across organ systems. Can you connect the chain? Portal hypertension → splanchnic capillary pressure → fluid transudation → ascites. Every link matters. Miss one, and the pathway breaks. Now treat it. Five drugs in your cart. Only one hits the right molecular target. Choose wrong, the cascade continues. Now sabotage it. A healthy cascade. Five insults: pathogens, toxins, autoantibodies, stressors. Only one disrupts the pathway at the right node. Drop it correctly, and watch the disease unfold step by step. FIVE MODES Chain — Drag and connect steps from trigger to clinical outcome. Reverse — Start with a clinical finding and trace backward to the root cause. How attendings think. Versus — Two similar diseases side by side. Fill in the gaps that distinguish them. Treat — Drag the correct drug onto the right molecular target to block the cascade. Pharmacology by mechanism. Sabotage — Drop the right pathogen, toxin, or autoantibody onto the node it disrupts. Watch the cascade fail in real time. PLUS Mechanisms — Study horizontally instead of by body system. 28 immunopathology, toxin, and hemodynamic clusters span every mode. Daily Challenge — One new chain every day. Build your streak in under 3 minutes. 650 PUZZLES ACROSS 10 BODY SYSTEMS Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Renal, GI & Hepatology, Neurology, Endocrine, Infectious Disease, Hematology, Reproductive, Rheumatology — pathophysiology, pharmacology, and mechanism-disruption in every system. Sabotage highlights: H. pylori, HBV cccDNA, C. difficile, doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, anti-PLA2R membranous, falciparum malaria, prion disease, MS, Hashimoto, Graves, TTP, HIT, APS, HPV cervical cancer, drug-induced lupus, statin myopathy. WHO IT'S FOR Medical students preparing for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK. Nursing students mastering mechanisms for NCLEX. PA, NP, and pharmacy students building clinical reasoning foundations. Anyone who wants to understand why diseases happen and how drugs work. WHY IT WORKS Most study tools ask you to recall facts. PathoPlay asks you to think with mechanism as the unit of reasoning. Five different ways to engage the same molecular reality builds understanding that survives exam pressure and translates to clinical practice. Every puzzle ends with a clinical pearl referenced to standard medical textbooks. From the makers of MedDiagnosis (clinical case simulator) and Kinetics (USMLE biochemistry). ACCESS 200 chains free across all 10 body systems One-time purchase unlocks all four premium modes, the Mechanisms browse, and all future content, yours forever No subscriptions, no ads, fully offline Evidence-based content referenced to Robbins & Cotran, Harrison's, Guyton & Hall, Goodman & Gilman's, Pathoma, Nat Rev Dis Primers, NEJM, and Lancet. Support: contact@diagnosticstudios.com Educational use only. Not for clinical decision-making. USMLE® is a trademark of NBME/FSMB. No affiliation or endorsement.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: PathoPlay at every 11 days against Case Files's every 19 months. 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
Both are free to download. Case Files sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and PathoPlay sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Case Files ships an update every 19 months, PathoPlay every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Case Files | PathoPlay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Expanded Apps | Helena Kaso |
In-app purchases
Case Files
- 1 Week$6.997 Days
- Weekly Access$11.997 Days
- 1 Month$18.991 Month
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- Monthly Access$19.991 Month
- 1 Year$59.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$39.99
PathoPlay
- PathoPlay Premium$12.99
Questions
Is Case Files free?
Is PathoPlay free?
Do Case Files or PathoPlay have ads?
Which is updated more often, Case Files or PathoPlay?
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