Engine Simulator 3D vs RevLab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Engine Simulator 3D
Explore a variety of 3D engine models, from inline to rotary designs. Inspect moving parts, adjust views, and experience realistic sound and gear shifting. Customize drive modes and exhaust settings for an immersive simulation.
- 3D engine models (inline, V, rotary)
- Detailed inspection of moving parts
- Multiple camera views and zoom
- Realistic sound and rev simulation
- Manual and automatic gearboxes
- Customizable drive modes
- Launch control
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Start the engine and move the throttle to hear and see the revs change. Explore inline, V and rotary engines in 3D. • A range of engines Explore Inline-3 Compact, Inline-4 High-rev, Inline-4 Turbo, Inline-5 Turbo, Inline-6 Twin, V6 Even-fire, V8 Low-rev, V10 High-rev, V12 Grand and Rotary Twin-rotor. Drag to rotate the engine, then open the expanded view to inspect moving parts such as pistons, connecting rods, the crankshaft and rotors. • Views and close-up inspection Choose a top, side, front or default view, and use two fingers to move or zoom the view. In the expanded view, you can slow the motion down 12× or see through the fixed parts to watch the parts inside, while the sound and revs stay at real speed. Piston engines also show the combustion glow and exhaust heat. • Four gearboxes Choose a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 8-speed automatic or 7-speed dual-clutch. Use the gear controls and clutch, brake and throttle pedals for the selected gearbox. Follow the engine state on the tachometer and gear display. With a manual gearbox, revs build more heavily in higher gears and you can feel the lever engage each gear. The clutch pedal shows engaged, slipping and open zones, and you can turn on a large shift lever in Settings. • Drive modes and launch control Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Custom drive modes change the throttle response, automatic shift points and exhaust valve sound. For Custom, choose throttle response, shifting and exhaust valve separately in Settings and save them. Sport Plus also offers launch control. • Exhaust and sound settings Change the exhaust and tuning in Settings and compare the sound from idle to high revs. Audio is generated in real time from the engine's behavior; it does not play recordings of real vehicles. • Ads and access Start the default inline-six engine without watching an ad. Other engines can be previewed while stopped; a rewarded ad is offered when you first try to start one. A confirmed reward grants 24-hour access to that engine on this device. Press Start again after the ad closes. Passes are saved separately for each engine. Expiry does not interrupt an ongoing session, but returning to or reopening the app restores the default engine if the pass has expired. The default engine remains available if an ad cannot open or a reward is not confirmed. Banner ads may appear at the bottom of the screen. No account or sign-in is required. The app interface is available in 17 languages, including English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. The engines are original designs and do not reproduce any specific manufacturer or vehicle.
RevLab
Experience realistic engine simulations with physics-driven sound, haptics, and interactive gauges. Drive a variety of engines, from V8s to electric cars, and test their performance on a drag strip. Features detailed engine components and real-time feedback.
- Real-time physics-driven engine simulation
- Computed engine sounds based on components
- Interactive 3D engine models
- Drag strip performance testing
- Multiple engine types and configurations
- Manual and automatic transmission simulation
- Haptic feedback for engine and gear engagement
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RevLab runs the engine for real. It computes the crank, pistons, valves, combustion and exhaust gas flow in real time, and that one simulation drives the sound, the haptics, the gauges and the 3D engine. Nothing is animated just for the screen. ■ NEW: ROTARY, W16, RACE AND ELECTRIC Two- and four-rotor rotaries: no valves, the ports open as the apex seals pass. A quad-turbo W16 whose turbos take turns, with turbo whistle, blow-off and a boost gauge. Three race power units: a 3.0 V10 that revs to 19,000 rpm, a 1.6 V6 turbo hybrid and a 5.5 crossplane V8 hybrid, with an open-wheel body, an endurance prototype chassis and a race wheel display. And a four-motor electric research car: READY start, regen paddles, its own digital cluster, and motor whine that is computed, not recorded. ■ DRAG STRIP Quarter mile and 0–100 km/h on a timing strip over the engine stage: no road, no car. Stage on the Christmas tree, hold the revs with launch control, shift on the shift lights. Shift grades are only labels: the time comes from the physics alone. Race your personal-best ghost or the factory driver, study the time slip and post to Game Center leaderboards. Everything but the leaderboards works without Game Center. ■ SOUND THAT IS COMPUTED Cylinder count, firing order, crank geometry and exhaust manifold shape the sound: the uneven burble of a crossplane V8, the scream of a flatplane V8, the rumble of a flat-four on unequal-length headers. Cranking, idle, the limiter, lift-off pops and stalls all come out of the simulation. Listen from five positions, from the driver's seat to a measurement mic. ■ 21 ENGINES, 2 CYLINDERS TO JET AND ELECTRIC 45° V-twin; inline three, four, five and six; flat-four; crossplane and flatplane V8; V10; V12; V16; W16; two rotaries; three race power units; the electric research car; an airliner turbofan, an afterburning fighter turbofan and a nine-cylinder radial. Every spec in the Garage is computed from the engine data the simulator runs, and each car engine arrives in a car and gearbox that suit it. ■ DRIVE IT YOURSELF A 3D gated shifter and three pedals. Dump the clutch and the engine stalls; shift without it and the gears grind. One tap on START starts the engine, another switches it off. • 6- and 5-speed manual, 7-speed DCT with 3D paddles, 8-speed automatic, 6- to 8-speed sequentials • Auto clutch: OFF, LAUNCH, SHIFT or GUARD • COMFORT, ECO and SPORT drive modes on a 3D dash button ■ GAUGES AND FOCUS VIEWS Car clusters from stepper-motor analog to 12.3-inch TFT, a race wheel display and an electric cluster, with boost and exhaust-temperature gauges where the engine has them. The combustion view shows the cylinder cutaway and the pressure–crank-angle trace, the exhaust view the pressure waves in the header, and STROBE freezes the cycle like a timing light. ■ FEEL IT (iPhone) Core Haptics delivers engine vibration, clutch bite, gear engagement and grinds, the limiter and the electric car's contactor, the moment you hear them. ■ EASY ON THE BATTERY RevLab draws only what changes, lowers the refresh rate when you let go and caps it at 60 Hz in Low Power Mode; battery saver graphics keep the sound the same. ■ FREE AND REVLAB PRO Free: five engines (inline four, inline six, crossplane V8, airliner turbofan, radial), every gearbox, clutch mode and cluster, the drag strip, focus views, STROBE and haptics. Sound quality and controls are never locked. RevLab Pro (one-time purchase, not a subscription, Family Sharing) unlocks 16 more engines (V-twin, inline three and five, flat-four, flatplane V8, V10, V12, V16, W16, two rotaries, three race power units, the electric research car, fighter turbofan) and the front listening position. ■ ALSO English and Korean · iPhone and iPad, portrait and landscape · left- or right-hand drive · metric or imperial · Driver, Engineer and Lab display levels · no account, works offline (leaderboards need a connection). Made for people who love engines. Turn the key.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Engine Simulator 3D at 4.8 against RevLab's 3.8. Engine Simulator 3D also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (daily vs weekly). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. RevLab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Engine Simulator 3D asks for nothing beyond the download.
Engine Simulator 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Engine Simulator 3D has 79 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Engine Simulator 3D's written reviews are positive against 60% of RevLab's.
Engine Simulator 3D ships an update daily, RevLab weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Engine Simulator 3D | RevLab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (79 ratings) — better | 3.8 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.0% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 79 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 139 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Groundcode | Jehyung Lee |
Customer experience
Engine Simulator 3D
RevLab
In-app purchases
Engine Simulator 3D
No in-app purchases
RevLab
- RevLab Pro$4.99





