# PhET Simulations vs Afficient Progress

The clearest difference is price: Afficient Progress at Free against PhET Simulations's $0.99. Afficient Progress also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 14 months) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). PhET Simulations's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.2) and review sentiment (66% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Afficient Progress is free to download; PhET Simulations costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PhET Simulations holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 48 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of PhET Simulations's written reviews are positive against 50% of Afficient Progress's.

PhET Simulations ships an update every 14 months, Afficient Progress every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PhET Simulations | Afficient Progress |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phet-simulations/id1134126831/reviews)** | [3.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afficient-progress/id1135619542/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **65.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#41** | — |
| Size | 125 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [University of Colorado Boulder](https://appshunter.io/developer/972210292) | [Afficient Academy, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135619541) |

## What reviewers say

### PhET Simulations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phet-simulations/id1134126831)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Explore science and math concepts through interactive simulations. This app provides over 75 HTML5 simulations for learning about atoms, energy, multiplication, and more. It's ideal for students, parents, and educators, offering offline access and multiple language support.

**Highlights:** Interactive science and math simulations, Offline play capability, Multiple language support, Customizable favorites collection, Automatic simulation updates, Easy simulation sorting

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Afficient Progress

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afficient-progress/id1135619542)

Monitor your child's academic advancement in math and English with real-time updates. This application provides a direct view into their performance on Afficient's educational programs.

**Highlights:** Real-time progress updates, View Afficient Math progress, View Afficient English progress, Student performance monitoring, Parental oversight tool

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PhET Simulations free?

PhET Simulations costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Afficient Progress free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PhET Simulations or Afficient Progress?

PhET Simulations is rated higher. PhET Simulations averages 4.5 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while Afficient Progress averages 3.2 from 13 ratings.

### Do PhET Simulations or Afficient Progress have ads?

Neither PhET Simulations nor Afficient Progress shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PhET Simulations or Afficient Progress?

PhET Simulations ships an update every 14 months, and Afficient Progress every 3 months. Most recently, PhET Simulations was updated on November 2, 2026 and Afficient Progress on October 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.*