Comparison

phyphox vs Gradescope

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

Head to head
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.

About

Gradescope

Easily upload assignments for courses using this app. Submit files from your device or scan your work directly. Assign pages for variable-length assignments and resubmit if needed before the deadline.

Highlights
  • Upload assignments
  • Scan documents with camera
  • Select existing files
  • Assign pages for variable-length assignments
  • Resubmit assignments
  • View submitted and graded assignments
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Students, upload your assignments to Gradescope more easily than ever before! If your instructor uses Gradescope for your assignments, you can now upload your submission with our mobile app. After installing and opening the app, login to see your Gradescope courses and assignments. To upload a submission, click on the assignment in the “Not Submitted” tab and either “Select File” to select an existing file from your device or “Scan” all pages of your completed work using your iPhone’s camera. Once you submit your file(s), for templated assignments, you’re all set. For variable-length assignments, “Assign pages” to indicate where your answer for each question appears within your submission. It’s that easy! After confirming, your assignment then moves to the “Submitted” tab. If needed, you can resubmit your assignment until the due date your instructor set has passed. Once it is graded and grades are published for the assignment, it then moves to the “Graded” tab. Note: For V1 of the app, you will be directed to our mobile website for any advanced functionality, including viewing feedback and submitting timed, programming, or online assignments. Stay tuned for future updates that will allow you to do even more with our mobile app!

Screenshots

phyphox4 screens
Gradescope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: phyphox at 79% against Gradescope's 9%. phyphox also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.4). Gradescope's advantage is chart position (#84 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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 1.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 272 and 231 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of phyphox's written reviews are positive against 9% of Gradescope's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

phyphox ships an update every 3 months, Gradescope every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
phyphox versus Gradescope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterphyphoxGradescope
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (272 ratings) — better1.4 (231 ratings)
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews — better9.2% of reviews
Number of ratings272 — better231
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#84 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.4
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRWTH Aachen UniversityTurnitin

Customer experience

phyphox

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

Gradescope

All ratings231 ratings
Positive7.4%
Neutral3.5%
Negative89.2%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive9.2%
Neutral7.1%
Negative83.7%

User reviews

phyphox

From 272 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Gradescope

From 231 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick and effective submission process
  • 👍 Clean and well-designed app
  • 📸 Convenient scanning and photo upload

Room to improve

  • 🔑 Frequent log-in issues and lack of session persistence
  • 📱 Suboptimal iPad and tablet experience
  • 🐛 Buggy scanning and submission functionality
  • 🤔 Lack of key features like viewing graded assignments

Bugs and 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

Gradescope

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Camera flash issues during scanning
  • Photos not uploading in correct order
  • Inconsistent download button behavior

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to sort assignments by due date
  • Integration of tools for instructors
  • Improved iPad and tablet optimization

In-app purchases

None

phyphox

No in-app purchases

None

Gradescope

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is phyphox free?
phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gradescope free?
Gradescope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, phyphox or Gradescope?
phyphox is rated higher. phyphox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 272 ratings, while Gradescope averages 1.4 from 231 ratings.
Do phyphox or Gradescope have ads?
Neither phyphox nor Gradescope shows ads.
Which is updated more often, phyphox or Gradescope?
phyphox ships an update every 3 months, and Gradescope every 2 months. Most recently, phyphox was updated on September 24, 2026 and Gradescope on September 22, 2026.

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