# phyphox vs MetaWear

The clearest difference is review sentiment: phyphox at 79% against MetaWear's 50%. phyphox also leads on ratings volume (276 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). MetaWear's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

MetaWear 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of phyphox's written reviews are positive against 50% of MetaWear's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

phyphox ships an update every 3 months, MetaWear every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | phyphox | MetaWear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metawear/id1547334547/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **276** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **78.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RWTH Aachen University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371466796) | [MBIENTLAB INC](https://appshunter.io/developer/920878580) |

## 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


### MetaWear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metawear/id1547334547)

Stream sensor data from MetaWear BLE sensor boards. This platform provides a comprehensive solution for building wearable devices and collecting sensor information.

**Highlights:** Stream sensor data, MetaWear BLE sensor board compatibility, Build wearable devices, Gather sensor data, Complete platform solution

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is phyphox free?

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

### Is MetaWear free?

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

### Which has better reviews, phyphox or MetaWear?

MetaWear is rated higher. phyphox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 276 ratings, while MetaWear averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do phyphox or MetaWear have ads?

Neither phyphox nor MetaWear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, phyphox or MetaWear?

phyphox ships an update every 3 months, and MetaWear every 6 weeks. Most recently, phyphox was updated on October 12, 2026 and MetaWear on October 7, 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.*