Solve the Outbreak vs Cortex 5.0
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Solve simulated outbreaks
- Analyze clues and data
- Make critical decisions
- Earn badges and ranks
- Learn about diseases
- Challenge friends
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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!
Cortex 5.0
This app provides a drag-and-drop interface for programming robotics kits, generating Arduino code. It allows users to build and program robots that interact with their environment using sensors and various building systems. The user-friendly, game-like environment is ideal for learning programming and Arduino coding.
- Drag-and-drop programming interface
- Generates Arduino code
- Supports multiple building systems (fischertechnik, LEGO, K'NEX, VEX)
- Robot interaction with sensors
- Game-like learning environment
- iPad compatible
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The PCS Edventures Cortex is a drag-and-drop robotics programming environment that generates Arduino code for PCS Brain robotics kits or robot kits of your own design. Using the PCS Brain you can build robots that interact with their environment using sensors and move around using a variety of building systems including fischertechnik(r), LEGO(r), K'NEX, VEX, and others. You can even bolt it on to your R/C car and teach it to follow you like a dog! The rich, game-like programming interface is a great tool for learning how to program in a friendly environment, provides tools for learning Arduino coding, and it works on iPad!
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cortex 5.0 at 5.0 against Solve the Outbreak's 4.6. Cortex 5.0 also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). Solve the Outbreak's advantage is ratings volume (61 vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 20 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cortex 5.0 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solve the Outbreak has 61 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Solve the Outbreak ships an update every 5 months, Cortex 5.0 every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Solve the Outbreak | Cortex 5.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (61 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 95.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 61 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 20 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 258 MB | 83 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Centers For Disease Control and Prevention | PCS Edventures! |
Customer experience
Solve the Outbreak
Cortex 5.0
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
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- 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
Cortex 5.0
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Solve the Outbreak
No in-app purchases
Cortex 5.0
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Solve the Outbreak free?
Is Cortex 5.0 free?
Which has better reviews, Solve the Outbreak or Cortex 5.0?
Do Solve the Outbreak or Cortex 5.0 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Solve the Outbreak or Cortex 5.0?
Other comparisons
