Comparison

CamAtom vs phyphox

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

Head to head
About

CamAtom

This app works with a smartphone spectroscope to view and analyze light spectra. It offers calibration, zoom, and scaling features for data collection and storage. Requires a separate spectroscope device.

Highlights
  • View light spectra
  • Calibrate with reference spectra
  • Zoom and scaling features
  • Collect and store data
  • Analyze spectral data
Features
Read full description

This application is to be used in conjunction with a smartphone spectroscope to view light spectra. The app allows the scope to be calibrated using stored reference spectra, zoom and scaling features. Data can be collected, analyzed and stored. ***App does not work without spectroscope*** ***Spectroscope can be purchased at www.kissinstruments.com***

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

CamAtom1 screens
phyphox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: phyphox at 79% against CamAtom's 0%. phyphox also leads on ratings volume (276 vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months). CamAtom's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). 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

CamAtom holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: phyphox has 276 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of CamAtom's written reviews are positive against 79% of phyphox's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CamAtom ships an update every 11 months, phyphox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CamAtom versus phyphox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCamAtomphyphox
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.6 (276 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews78.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3276 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKISScientific Instruments Inc.RWTH Aachen University

Customer experience

CamAtom

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

phyphox

All ratings276 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive78.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative18.0%

Bugs and requests

CamAtom

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

CamAtom

No in-app purchases

None

phyphox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CamAtom free?
CamAtom 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, CamAtom or phyphox?
CamAtom is rated higher. CamAtom averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while phyphox averages 4.6 from 276 ratings.
Do CamAtom or phyphox have ads?
Neither CamAtom nor phyphox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CamAtom or phyphox?
CamAtom ships an update every 11 months, and phyphox every 3 months. Most recently, CamAtom was updated on October 7, 2026 and phyphox on October 12, 2026.

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