Comparison

Case Files Pharmacology vs PathoPlay

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

Head to head
About

Case Files Pharmacology

Master pharmacology with real clinical cases and explanations designed for efficient study. This app helps you understand drug mechanisms and patient scenarios to prepare for medical exams. Track your progress and review high-yield content anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • 56 high-yield clinical cases
  • Clear drug mechanism explanations
  • Step-by-step clinical reasoning
  • Pharmacology pearls
  • Progress tracking
  • Case-based review
Features
Read full description

Master Pharmacology—Fast: Learn pharmacology through real clinical cases and build the understanding you need to succeed on your exams. Case Files: Pharmacology delivers high-yield content in a format designed for efficient, focused study. Understand—Don’t Memorize: Each case helps you connect drug mechanisms, indications, and side effects through real patient scenarios—so concepts actually stick. High-Yield Review That Works: Designed for both rapid prep and retention: -56 high-yield clinical cases -Clear explanations of drug mechanisms -Step-by-step clinical reasoning -Key pharmacology pearls Built for Exam Success: Prepare effectively for USMLE Step 1 and shelf exams with focused, relevant content. Study Anywhere, Anytime -Quick case-based review -Track progress and performance -Study in short sessions or deep review Trusted Case Files® Series -Proven case-based learning -Real-world clinical scenarios -High-yield, exam-focused content -Written by experienced academic physicians and pharmacology educators. Get Started -Download the app to access sample cases. Unlock the full set for complete pharmacology review. Privacy Policy: https://expandedapps.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://expandedapps.com/terms-of-use/ Third Edition

About

PathoPlay

Learn disease and drug mechanisms through interactive puzzles. Connect molecular cascades, identify drug targets, and understand how disruptions lead to illness across 10 body systems. Offers daily challenges and offline access.

Highlights
  • Mechanism-based learning
  • Interactive puzzles
  • Disease and drug tracing
  • Daily challenges
  • Offline access
  • 10 body systems covered
Features
Read full description

PathoPlay teaches pathophysiology and pharmacology by mechanism, not memorization. Trace how diseases start, how drugs treat them, and how the same molecular cascades recur across organ systems. Can you connect the chain? Portal hypertension → splanchnic capillary pressure → fluid transudation → ascites. Every link matters. Miss one, and the pathway breaks. Now treat it. Five drugs in your cart. Only one hits the right molecular target. Choose wrong, the cascade continues. Now sabotage it. A healthy cascade. Five insults: pathogens, toxins, autoantibodies, stressors. Only one disrupts the pathway at the right node. Drop it correctly, and watch the disease unfold step by step. FIVE MODES Chain — Drag and connect steps from trigger to clinical outcome. Reverse — Start with a clinical finding and trace backward to the root cause. How attendings think. Versus — Two similar diseases side by side. Fill in the gaps that distinguish them. Treat — Drag the correct drug onto the right molecular target to block the cascade. Pharmacology by mechanism. Sabotage — Drop the right pathogen, toxin, or autoantibody onto the node it disrupts. Watch the cascade fail in real time. PLUS Mechanisms — Study horizontally instead of by body system. 28 immunopathology, toxin, and hemodynamic clusters span every mode. Daily Challenge — One new chain every day. Build your streak in under 3 minutes. 650 PUZZLES ACROSS 10 BODY SYSTEMS Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Renal, GI & Hepatology, Neurology, Endocrine, Infectious Disease, Hematology, Reproductive, Rheumatology — pathophysiology, pharmacology, and mechanism-disruption in every system. Sabotage highlights: H. pylori, HBV cccDNA, C. difficile, doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, anti-PLA2R membranous, falciparum malaria, prion disease, MS, Hashimoto, Graves, TTP, HIT, APS, HPV cervical cancer, drug-induced lupus, statin myopathy. WHO IT'S FOR Medical students preparing for USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK. Nursing students mastering mechanisms for NCLEX. PA, NP, and pharmacy students building clinical reasoning foundations. Anyone who wants to understand why diseases happen and how drugs work. WHY IT WORKS Most study tools ask you to recall facts. PathoPlay asks you to think with mechanism as the unit of reasoning. Five different ways to engage the same molecular reality builds understanding that survives exam pressure and translates to clinical practice. Every puzzle ends with a clinical pearl referenced to standard medical textbooks. From the makers of MedDiagnosis (clinical case simulator) and Kinetics (USMLE biochemistry). ACCESS 200 chains free across all 10 body systems One-time purchase unlocks all four premium modes, the Mechanisms browse, and all future content, yours forever No subscriptions, no ads, fully offline Evidence-based content referenced to Robbins & Cotran, Harrison's, Guyton & Hall, Goodman & Gilman's, Pathoma, Nat Rev Dis Primers, NEJM, and Lancet. Support: contact@diagnosticstudios.com Educational use only. Not for clinical decision-making. USMLE® is a trademark of NBME/FSMB. No affiliation or endorsement.

Screenshots

Case Files Pharmacology4 screens
PathoPlay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PathoPlay at every 11 days against Case Files Pharmacology's every 8 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Case Files Pharmacology sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and PathoPlay sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Case Files Pharmacology ships an update every 8 months, PathoPlay every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Case Files Pharmacology versus PathoPlay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCase Files PharmacologyPathoPlay
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB58 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperExpanded AppsHelena Kaso

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Case Files Pharmacology

Subscriptions6
  • 1 Week$5.997 Days
  • 1 Week$11.997 Days
  • 1 Month$14.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • 1 Month$17.991 Month
  • 1 Month$19.991 Month
  • 1 Year$59.991 Year
One-time3
  • Lifetime Access$24.99
  • Lifetime Access$34.99
  • Case Files Pharmacology Pharm for USMLE Step 1$39.99
1 purchases

PathoPlay

One-time1
  • PathoPlay Premium$12.99

Questions

Is Case Files Pharmacology free?
Case Files Pharmacology is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PathoPlay free?
PathoPlay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Case Files Pharmacology or PathoPlay have ads?
Neither Case Files Pharmacology nor PathoPlay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Case Files Pharmacology or PathoPlay?
Case Files Pharmacology ships an update every 8 months, and PathoPlay every 11 days. Most recently, Case Files Pharmacology was updated on October 23, 2026 and PathoPlay on October 24, 2026.

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