# phyphox vs MIT App Inventor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: phyphox at 79% against MIT App Inventor's 20%. phyphox also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.6) and ratings volume (272 vs 7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

phyphox holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: phyphox has 272 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of phyphox's written reviews are positive against 20% of MIT App Inventor's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | phyphox | MIT App Inventor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (272 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693/reviews)** | [2.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mit-app-inventor/id1422709355/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **272** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 19.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RWTH Aachen University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371466796) | [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/353590322) |

## What reviewers say

### phyphox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Access to phone sensors
- 🔬 Useful for physics experiments
- 📊 Data logging and export
- 🆓 Free and no ads
- 🤔 Sparks curiosity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 📉 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 App locks/minimizes recording
- ❓ Units not always clear
- ⚠️ Potential for device damage

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on older devices
- Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
- Network error: Generic error
- Sound measurement curve disappears
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- 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


### MIT App Inventor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mit-app-inventor/id1422709355)

Learn programming and build mobile applications using a visual, block-based interface. This educational tool helps users understand computational thinking and design their own projects, with built-in tutorials and over 60 components for diverse app creation.

**Highlights:** Visual block-based programming, Mobile app development, Computational thinking education, Built-in tutorials, Over 60 app components, Project testing and debugging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Great for learning and creating apps
- 👍 Useful for school and coding classes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Connectivity issues, especially with iOS devices
- 👎 Confusing and outdated user interface
- ⚠️ Unreliable and glitchy performance

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently crashes or freezes
- Connectivity problems when trying to test apps
- Inconsistent behavior and unexpected errors

**Requested features**

- Improved compatibility with modern devices and operating systems
- More intuitive and user-friendly interface
- Better error handling and debugging tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is phyphox free?

phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MIT App Inventor free?

MIT App Inventor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, phyphox or MIT App Inventor?

phyphox is rated higher. phyphox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 272 ratings, while MIT App Inventor averages 2.6 from 7 ratings.

### Do phyphox or MIT App Inventor have ads?

Neither phyphox nor MIT App Inventor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, phyphox or MIT App Inventor?

phyphox ships an update every 3 months, and MIT App Inventor every 3 months. Most recently, phyphox was updated on September 24, 2026 and MIT App Inventor on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*