Case Files Pharmacology vs PathoPlay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 56 high-yield clinical cases
- Clear drug mechanism explanations
- Step-by-step clinical reasoning
- Pharmacology pearls
- Progress tracking
- Case-based review
Read full descriptionHide 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
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.
- Mechanism-based learning
- Interactive puzzles
- Disease and drug tracing
- Daily challenges
- Offline access
- 10 body systems covered
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Case Files Pharmacology | PathoPlay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Expanded Apps | Helena Kaso |
In-app purchases
Case Files Pharmacology
- 1 Week$5.997 Days
- 1 Week$11.997 Days
- 1 Month$14.991 Month
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 1 Month$17.991 Month
- 1 Month$19.991 Month
- 1 Year$59.991 Year
- Lifetime Access$24.99
- Lifetime Access$34.99
- Case Files Pharmacology Pharm for USMLE Step 1$39.99
PathoPlay
- PathoPlay Premium$12.99
Questions
Is Case Files Pharmacology free?
Is PathoPlay free?
Do Case Files Pharmacology or PathoPlay have ads?
Which is updated more often, Case Files Pharmacology or PathoPlay?
Other comparisons















