Comparison

Solve the Outbreak vs Stickleback Evolution Lab

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

Head to head
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!

About

Stickleback Evolution Lab

Explore the science of evolution by analyzing the pelvic structures of threespine stickleback fish. This virtual lab offers three experiments using real fish specimens and fossils, complete with graphing and statistical analysis tools for drawing conclusions about population evolution.

Highlights
  • Analyze pelvic structures of threespine stickleback fish
  • Conduct experiments with living specimens and fossils
  • Collect and analyze biological data
  • Graphing and statistical analysis tools
  • Learn about evolutionary science
Features
Read full description

The Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab will introduce you to the science and techniques used to analyze the forms and structures of organisms–in particular, the pelvic structures of the threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). The lab includes three experiments in which you will collect data using photographs of living fish specimens and fossils to draw conclusions about the evolution of stickleback fish populations. The lab includes graphing and statistical analysis of biological data. This app is geared to high school and college biology students, and anyone interested in the biological sciences. 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, featuring free resources for science education, including lectures, animations, short films, interactive features, and classroom-ready lesson plans and activities. Topics include all areas of biology and earth and environmental science. Vist the website at www.biointeractive.org.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Solve the Outbreak at 4.6 against Stickleback Evolution Lab's 2.6. Solve the Outbreak also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 28 months) and ratings volume (61 vs 8). Stickleback Evolution Lab's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solve the Outbreak has 61 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 96% of Solve the Outbreak's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stickleback Evolution Lab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Solve the Outbreak ships an update every 5 months, Stickleback Evolution Lab every 28 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Solve the Outbreak versus Stickleback Evolution Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSolve the OutbreakStickleback Evolution Lab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (61 ratings) — better2.6 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews95.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings61 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 28 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS12.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size258 MB264 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperCenters For Disease Control and PreventionHoward Hughes Medical Institute

Customer experience

Solve the Outbreak

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

Stickleback Evolution Lab

All ratings8 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative62.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

Stickleback Evolution Lab

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Solve the Outbreak

No in-app purchases

None

Stickleback Evolution Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Solve the Outbreak free?
Solve the Outbreak is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stickleback Evolution Lab free?
Stickleback Evolution Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Solve the Outbreak or Stickleback Evolution Lab?
Solve the Outbreak is rated higher. Solve the Outbreak averages 4.6 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Stickleback Evolution Lab averages 2.6 from 8 ratings.
Do Solve the Outbreak or Stickleback Evolution Lab have ads?
Neither Solve the Outbreak nor Stickleback Evolution Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Solve the Outbreak or Stickleback Evolution Lab?
Solve the Outbreak ships an update every 5 months, and Stickleback Evolution Lab every 28 months. Most recently, Solve the Outbreak was updated on November 3, 2026 and Stickleback Evolution Lab on November 1, 2026.

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