Engine Room Simulator vs Engine Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Engine Room Simulator
This app offers a high-fidelity simulation for marine engineering training. It allows users to practice shipboard engine-room procedures, from safety training to full voyage simulation, with clear guidance and feedback. Ideal for cadets, students, and seafarers to build practical skills anytime, anywhere.
- High-fidelity marine engineering simulation
- PPE safety training and induction
- Generator synchronization and startup
- Full voyage simulation
- Guided and assessment learning modes
- Offline practice capability
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Engine Room Simulator - ERS is a high-fidelity marine engineering training simulator for marine cadets, marine students, seafarers, and seamen who want to practice shipboard engine-room procedures with professional precision - anytime, anywhere, on mobile. Step into a realistic engine room and learn how a ship's machinery comes to life. From PPE safety training to generator synchronization to full voyage simulation, ERS turns complex marine engineering operations into repeatable, hands-on practice and onboard familiarization. MARITIME TRAINING, STEP BY STEP Work through guided engine room training modules with clear procedures, on-screen guidance, and instant feedback. This interactive training simulator builds from the fundamentals to full-plant operation - ideal for maritime education, competency training, and seafarer training. Practice the core shipboard systems: - PPE safety training and engine room safety induction - Emergency diesel generator cold-ship startup - Diesel Generator 1 and 2 starting - Diesel generator synchronization and paralleling - Seawater system and central seawater distribution - Freshwater system and cooling water system (LT/HT) - Lube oil system management - Fuel oil system pretreatment and service - Starting air system compressors and receivers - Boiler and steam plant operation - Marine diesel engine and engine startup training - Secure propulsion and propulsion control FULL VOYAGE SIMULATION Bring it all together in the Voyage Simulation hub - a connected engine room sandbox where shipboard systems and marine auxiliary systems operate at the same time. Perform system alignment training, manage the plant, handle electrical interlocks, and run the vessel like a real watchkeeping marine engineer. SAFETY FIRST, EVERY TIME Shipboard safety is built in. Complete your PPE and safety checks to unlock training modules, then gear up again every time you enter the engine room - just like real shipboard discipline. GUIDED AND ASSESSMENT LEARNING - Guided mode: a step-by-step narrator, on-screen pointers, and input gating help you learn each procedure correctly. - Assessment mode: an operations assessment with scoring and mistake tracking, unlocked once you complete the guided walkthrough. WHY ENGINE ROOM SIMULATOR - Built for marine cadets, marine engineering students, and working seafarers - Realistic P&ID-style shipboard system diagrams with pan and zoom - Authentic engine room operations, alarms, and trainer feedback - Premium, distraction-free full-screen interface - Practice marine engineering offline, on your own schedule - Repeatable drills and simulator practice to build muscle memory before you board Whether you are preparing for sea time, studying as a marine cadet, refreshing watchkeeping skills, or learning how a ship engine works, Engine Room Simulator - ERS is a complete marine simulator and ship systems simulator that gives you a safe, hands-on environment to learn, practice, and master engine room operations. ERS PRO Unlock the full marine engineering training experience, including all system modules and the complete Voyage Simulation, with ERS Pro. A yearly subscription and a one-time lifetime purchase are available. PRO OPTIONS • Pro Yearly: 1 year, auto-renewable subscription • Pro Lifetime: one-time purchase • Pro unlocks unlimited local saves and Pro-only features/components SUBSCRIPTION TERMS • Price is shown in your local currency before purchase • Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation • Yearly Pro renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in Apple ID account settings Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://electrosim.simlearningtech.com/privacy-policy
Engine Lab
Explore engine mechanics with a touch-first simulator. Build, tune, and test custom engines, observing animations and hearing synthesized exhaust sounds. Export your creations as WAV files.
- Touch-first engine simulation
- Build and save custom engines
- Tune engine parameters
- Simulated dyno pulls
- Crank and piston animation
- Native exhaust synthesis
- Export WAV audio
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Build an engine and hear it run. Engine Lab is a touch-first engine simulator: design anything from a single to a V12, then hear it idle, rev and pull to the limiter, live on your iPhone or iPad. BUILD BENCH • Set the layout, 1 to 12 cylinders, bore, stroke, firing order and redline. • Hear each change as you make it, and hold to rev. • Try different headers, exhausts and mufflers. • Compare against a saved version by ear or on the dyno. SEE IT IN 3D • Every engine, including your own builds, becomes a 3D model driven by the live simulation: pistons, crank, cams, valves and glowing headers. • Orbit, zoom, slow it down, switch between X-ray and solid, and tap any part for live readings. The classic 2D cutaway is one tap away. DRIVE IT • Manual or automatic gearbox with clutch and road speed, plus a gearing chart with top speed in each gear. • Simulated dyno pulls with torque and power curves. • Six built-in engines: Honda B18C5 VTEC, Honda TRX520 single, BMW M52B28, Toyota 2JZ, Audi 2.3 inline-5 and GM LS V8. IMPORT AND SHARE • Import engine-sim .mr scripts and share your builds as .mr files. • Export a WAV recorded by the on-device simulator. No account, network service or microphone permission is required. An optional one-time Pro purchase unlocks advanced tuning and unlimited saved builds; the free plan keeps three. Values are simulated estimates for exploration, not certified engineering measurements.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Engine Room Simulator at 4.8 against Engine Lab's 3.0. Engine Room Simulator also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Engine Lab's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). 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. Engine Room Simulator sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Engine Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Engine Room Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
Engine Room Simulator ships an update every 3 weeks, Engine Lab every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Engine Room Simulator | Engine Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 3.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 174 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Louie Juera | Jan Sokol |
Customer experience
Engine Room Simulator
Engine Lab
In-app purchases
Engine Room Simulator
- ERS Pro Yearly3 Days trial$9.991 Year
- ERS Pro Lifetime$19.99
Engine Lab
- Engine Lab Pro$4.99
Questions
Is Engine Room Simulator free?
Is Engine Lab free?
Which has better reviews, Engine Room Simulator or Engine Lab?
Do Engine Room Simulator or Engine Lab have ads?
Which is updated more often, Engine Room Simulator or Engine Lab?
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