Cortex vs Examius
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Cortex
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Cortex turns medical learning into a daily habit. Step into the role of the only doctor on duty and solve realistic clinical cases โ read the presentation, work through the patient, and sharpen the diagnostic instincts that exams and the wards demand. Every day brings a fresh case. Build a streak, earn XP, climb the leagues, and watch your skills grow from medical student to expert clinician. WHAT YOU GET - Daily Clinical Cases โ a new patient mystery every single day to keep you sharp - Master Every Specialty โ train across cardiology, hematology, nephrology, infectious disease, rheumatology, vascular medicine, and more - Compete & Climb โ rise through Bronze, Silver and beyond in weekly leagues - Streaks & Rewards โ keep your diagnostic flame alive, earn coins, and use Streak Freezes to protect your momentum - Level Up โ earn XP, unlock specialty trophies, and track your journey from student to master - Practice Anytime โ a permanent library of cases to browse and solve on your schedule WHO IT'S FOR Medical students, interns, residents, and doctors who want a fast, fun, and genuinely challenging way to revise clinical reasoning โ whether you're prepping for exams or keeping your edge between shifts. WHY CORTEX No dry question banks. No clutter. Just beautifully simple cases, real progression, and the daily push to think like a doctor. Note: Cortex is a learning and revision tool for medical education and entertainment. It is not a medical device and is not intended for real-world diagnosis, treatment, or clinical decision-making. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cortexcases.com/privacy
Examius
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Examius turns the exam you are preparing for into a plan you can actually work through. IMPORT YOUR SYLLABUS ONCE Pick your country and your exam. Every chapter, topic and sub-topic becomes something you can tick off, revise and time. Exam boards differ by country, so the syllabuses match the papers you will actually sit. STUDY IN DEEP FOCUS A Pomodoro timer for each subject keeps you in flow and records every minute you study, with a full-screen focus mode and round tracking. 230,000 READY-MADE FLASHCARDS Thousands of prebuilt decks across medicine, engineering, law, admission tests and more, or write your own. Spaced repetition schedules each card so you revise it exactly when you are about to forget it. SEE YOUR PROGRESS HONESTLY Daily and weekly study time, completion percentages, streaks, session averages and a year heatmap. Every figure comes from time you actually recorded. STUDY WITH OTHER PEOPLE Claim a username and rank on the global and country leaderboards, add classmates as friends, and create study groups that pool everyone's hours toward a shared goal. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN Widgets for progress, streaks, quick timer start and cards due today. WORKS OFFLINE Your syllabus, timers, notes and flashcards live on your device and work with no connection. A free Google or Apple sign-in keeps your free exam with your account, and also powers leaderboards and sync. FREE AND PRO Free: one exam of your choice with its full syllabus and ready-made flashcards, plus the focus timer, stats, notes and leaderboards. Ads appear only on flashcard screens. Examius Pro: add every exam you want, unlock every country catalog and prebuilt deck, study flashcards without ads, and get advanced stats and heatmaps. PURCHASE DETAILS Examius Pro is a one-time in-app purchase of $8.99 (price varies by region), charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. It is not a subscription: nothing renews and there is nothing to cancel. Restore it on any device signed in to the same Apple Account. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://examius.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Cortex at none against Examius's shown. Cortex also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Examius's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Cortex sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Examius sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Cortex ships an update weekly, Examius monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cortex | Examius |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Weekly โ better | Monthly |
| Ads | No โ better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 87 MB | 125 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Rudrakshi Patel | inParlor Technologies Private Limited |
In-app purchases
Cortex
- Cortex Monthly Subscription$11.991 Month
- Cortex Yearly Subscription$79.991 Year
Examius
- Examius Pro$8.991 Year









