Comparison

phyphox vs 3

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

3

Explore the wonders of gravity with this 2D N-body simulator. Experiment with celestial mechanics, create mesmerizing patterns, and customize your simulations. It's a fun and educational playground for anyone curious about physics.

Highlights
  • Simulate gravity interactions
  • Explore preset configurations
  • Customize body size, color, and trails
  • Educational and fun physics experiments
  • Create mesmerizing visual patterns
Features
Read full description

Explore the Wonders of Gravity with 3-Body - A 2D N-Body Simulator! Dive into the fascinating world of physics with 3-Body, a unique 2D N-body simulator inspired by the famous “3-Body Problem” in physics (also the book series and now Netflix show). Whether you’re a science enthusiast, a fan of celestial mechanics, or just looking for something cool to play with, 3-Body offers a fun and educational experience. Key Features: • Simulate Gravity: Watch as bodies with mass interact with each other, forming complex and mesmerizing patterns as they move under the influence of gravity. • Preset Configurations: Explore stable configurations such as the figure-eight orbit of three bodies, a circular orbit of three masses, or a large body orbited by smaller ones. • Customization: Unleash your creativity by customizing the size, color, and trails of the bodies you create. Tailor each simulation to your liking and see how it affects the system. • Educational & Fun: While the app is primarily informational, it’s also incredibly fun to experiment with. Whether you’re learning about gravitational physics or just enjoying the visual spectacle, 3-Body has something for everyone. Why 3-Body? 3-Body isn’t just a tool—it’s a playground for your imagination. With no specific goal other than to explore, discover, and enjoy, this app brings the wonders of gravity to your fingertips. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, or just someone curious about the universe, 3-Body is sure to captivate and entertain you. Download 3-Body today and embark on your journey through the cosmos!

Screenshots

phyphox4 screens
34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: 3 at 5.0 against phyphox's 4.6. 3 also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). phyphox's advantage is ratings volume (272 vs 3) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). 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

3 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: phyphox has 272 ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
phyphox versus 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterphyphox3
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (272 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings272 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRWTH Aachen UniversityCubic Insights LLC

Customer experience

phyphox

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

3

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

3

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

phyphox

No in-app purchases

None

3

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is phyphox free?
phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 3 free?
3 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, phyphox or 3?
3 is rated higher. phyphox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 272 ratings, while 3 averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do phyphox or 3 have ads?
Neither phyphox nor 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, phyphox or 3?
phyphox ships an update every 3 months, and 3 monthly. Most recently, phyphox was updated on September 24, 2026 and 3 on September 3, 2026.

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