Comparison

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer vs phyphox

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

Head to head
About

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer

This app uses your device's accelerometer to measure and graph G-Force and acceleration over time. It allows you to record and export data as a CSV file, making it useful for analyzing motion in vehicles, vibrations, and educational physics experiments.

Highlights
  • Measures G-Force and acceleration
  • Graphs G-Force vs. Time
  • Graphs Acceleration vs. Time
  • Records and exports data as CSV
  • Analyzes motion in vehicles and vibrations
  • Useful for classroom physics experiments
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone into a motion laboratory. Physics Toolbox Accelerometer reads the accelerometer built into your device and shows exactly what it measures — live, in three dimensions, in units you can check. MEASURE • G-Force — the ratio of normal force to gravity, in X, Y, Z and total magnitude • Linear Acceleration — the same motion with gravity removed, in m/s² • Spectrum — a live FFT that finds the dominant frequency in a vibration RECORD AND ANALYSE • Record any run to CSV, then replay it with duration, maximum and average • Import CSV files recorded elsewhere and analyse them the same way • Share a recording straight from the app BUILT FOR TEACHING Each mode explains the physics behind it: how a piezoresistive cantilever bends under acceleration, how a capacitive accelerometer varies the electric potential across its plates, and why an object in free fall reads zero g. PRO A single lifetime purchase unlocks the signal filters — moving average, Kalman and low-pass — and analysis of saved and imported recordings. Works on iPhone and iPad, in light and dark, with VoiceOver throughout.

About

phyphox

Unlock your phone's sensors for scientific exploration. Conduct pre-built experiments or create your own using accelerometers, magnetometers, and more. Analyze and export data in various formats for further study.

Highlights
  • Pre-defined experiments
  • Data export (CSV, TSV, Excel)
  • Web-based remote control
  • Custom experiment editor
  • Access to phone sensors
  • Advanced analysis functions
Features
Read full description

Did you know that you are carrying a 3D magnetometer? That you can use your phone as a pendulum to measure earth's local gravitational acceleration? That you can turn your phone into a sonar? phyphox gives you access to the sensors of your phone either directly or through ready-to-play experiments which analyze your data and let you export raw data along with the results for further analysis. You can even define your own experiments on phyphox.org and share them with colleagues, students and friends. Selected Features: • A selection of pre-defined experiments. Just press play to start. • Export your data to a range of widely used formats • Remote-control your experiment through a web interface from any PC on the same network as your phone. No need to install anything on those PCs - all you need is a modern web browser. • Define your own experiments by selecting sensor inputs, defining analysis steps and creating views as an interface using our web-editor (http://phyphox.org/editor). The analysis consists of just adding two values or using advanced methods like Fourier transforms and crosscorrelation. We offer a whole toolbox of analysis functions. Sensors supported: • Accelerometer • Magnetometer • Gyroscope • Pressure • Microphone • Proximity • GPS • Camera • LiDAR/ToF *some sensors are not present on every phone. Export formats • CSV (Comma separated values) • TSV (Tab-separated values) • Excel (if you need other formats, please let us know) This app has been developed at the 2nd Institute of Physics A at the RWTH Aachen University.

Screenshots

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer4 screens
phyphox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: phyphox at 4.6 against Physics Toolbox Accelerometer's 2.0. phyphox also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 38%) and ratings volume (272 vs 5). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

phyphox holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: phyphox has 272 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Physics Toolbox Accelerometer's written reviews are positive against 79% of phyphox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer ships an update every 8 months, phyphox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Physics Toolbox Accelerometer versus phyphox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics Toolbox Accelerometerphyphox
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (5 ratings)4.6 (272 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.5% of reviews78.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5272 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChrystian VieyraRWTH Aachen University

Customer experience

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer

All ratings5 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive38.5%
Neutral7.7%
Negative53.8%

phyphox

All ratings272 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews265 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative18.1%

Bugs and requests

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

phyphox

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • App crashes on older devices
  • Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
  • Network error: Generic error
  • Sound measurement curve disappears
  • App crashes frequently
Show 16 more
  • Cannot be opened on iPhone 6
  • Light sensor not implemented
  • Recording stops when phone is locked or app is minimized
  • Green lines on screen and faded to black after using barometer sensor
  • WLAN not working after using the app
  • Pressure no longer displayed on iOS 17.5
  • Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
  • Latest version cannot be opened on iPhone 6
  • Sound chronometer reset button not working
  • iPad destroyed after update
  • App displays Russian language by default
  • Experiments not working on iPhone 7
  • Magnetometer not working after update on iPhone 5s
  • GPS shows 0 satellites with 6m accuracy
  • App claims iPhone 11 is comparable to a low-cost tablet
  • App crashes every time

Requested features

33 requests
  • Add infrasound detector
  • More units of measurement (G-force, PSI, feet)
  • NFC/RFID support
  • In-app bug report feature
  • Allow other sensors via USB-C
Show 28 more
  • Ability to plug in external sensors
  • Slo-mo recording with timestamps
  • Add attitude sensor (roll, pitch, yaw)
  • Integration with Apple Shortcuts
  • Ability to record audio/dB simultaneously with other sensors
  • Adjustable sampling frequency for all sensors
  • Dark mode option
  • Experiment editor integrated into the app
  • More documentation for the editor
  • Ability to form averages
  • Support for older iPhones (iPhone 6)
  • Add GPS satellite count display
  • Add speedometer functionality
  • Add Lux measurement using light sensor/camera
  • Ability to play recorded audio
  • Limit input for sound analyzers (dB/Hz range)
  • Wi-Fi and RF module access for EMF analysis
  • iWatch integration
  • Improve audio generator capability
  • Allow background/screen locked recording
  • Add light sensor functionality
  • Change units of measurement
  • Add more precise measurements for static cases
  • Add FFT and spectral generation for accelerometer
  • Support for older devices
  • Improve UI/UX for new users
  • Add support for more languages
  • Add a donate option

In-app purchases

None

Physics Toolbox Accelerometer

No in-app purchases

None

phyphox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Physics Toolbox Accelerometer free?
Physics Toolbox Accelerometer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is phyphox free?
phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Physics Toolbox Accelerometer or phyphox?
phyphox is rated higher. Physics Toolbox Accelerometer averages 2.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while phyphox averages 4.6 from 272 ratings.
Do Physics Toolbox Accelerometer or phyphox have ads?
Neither Physics Toolbox Accelerometer nor phyphox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Physics Toolbox Accelerometer or phyphox?
Physics Toolbox Accelerometer ships an update every 8 months, and phyphox every 3 months. Most recently, Physics Toolbox Accelerometer was updated on September 7, 2026 and phyphox on September 24, 2026.

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