Comparison

MaxwellsDemon vs KAGAKU

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

Head to head
About

MaxwellsDemon

Features
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You can learn the essence of statistical thermodynamics. Through simulation of gas molecular motion, you can intuitively understand basic concepts such as molecular kinetic energy, temperature, and entropy. Prepare a hot gas and a cold gas separated by a wall. Remove the wall and mix the two gases. Then, place the wall, which is covered with Maxwell's demon, in the center of the container, again dividing the container in two. What will happen?

About

KAGAKU

Features
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KAGAKU is an interactive app for learning how atoms, molecules and reactions work through moving visuals. How electrons fill shells, how bonds form, why molecules have their shapes, what makes reactions fast: ideas that are hard to grasp from textbook pictures become clear when you change the conditions yourself. Developer: Fuji Bit Inc. 12 simulations in 3 categories: Atoms & elements: - Periodic Table: Compare all 118 elements colored by category, block (s, p, d, f) or electronegativity. Tap an element for its details. Pinch to zoom. - Atomic Structure: Raise the atomic number one step at a time and watch electrons fill the shells in a Bohr model, following real electron configurations (potassium is 2, 8, 8, 1). "Excite" lifts an electron, which gives off light as it falls back. - Flame Test: Compare the flame colors and emission spectra of lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium, strontium, barium and copper. The photon energy (E = hc/λ) of the main line is shown too. - Chemical Bonds: Pick two atoms and see ionic, covalent and metallic bonds form. The electronegativity difference gives the ionic character and polarity (δ+ / δ−); ionic bonds show formulas such as MgCl₂ and Al₂O₃. Molecules & matter: - Molecular Shapes: See the seven shapes set by electron-pair repulsion (VSEPR) in 3D: H₂O, NH₃, CH₄, CO₂, BF₃, PCl₅, SF₆ and more. Lone pairs and bond angles show why. Drag to rotate. - Organic Chemistry: Ethanol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, acetone, methylamine, phenol and more, with the functional group (hydroxy, carboxy, ...) highlighted and its family and properties explained. - Gas Laws: Choose Boyle's, Charles's or Gay-Lussac's law; the quantity it keeps fixed is locked, and particles plus P–V, V–T or P–T graphs show the relationship. Values use real units: kPa, L and K. - Changes of State (new): Heat or cool 1 mol of water from ice to steam and watch the heating curve and the molecular arrangement side by side. See why the temperature stops at 0 °C and 100 °C (heats of fusion and vaporization). Reactions & change: - Balancing Equations: Change coefficients with + and − until the atoms match on both sides. Bars compare the atoms of each element, and the app tells you whether the ratio is the simplest. Seven reactions. - Titration & pH: Titrate hydrochloric acid (strong) or acetic acid (weak) with NaOH. See the titration curve, equivalence point and indicator ranges, and whether phenolphthalein, methyl orange or bromothymol blue suits the titration. - How Batteries Work: Choose two metals from Mg, Zn, Fe, Ni, Pb, Cu and Ag, change the ion concentrations and read the voltage. Potentials come from the Nernst equation, with the negative and positive electrodes and half-reactions shown. The same metal on both sides makes a concentration cell. - Reaction Rate (new): Watch reactions happen through particle collisions. Change temperature, concentration and catalyst and compare the share of collisions above the activation energy and the product graph. Features: - Dark and light themes - Home screen organized by category, plus an "All modes" list - Tips and a play button in the control panel - Results update in real time as you move sliders and choices - An info sheet with formulas and terms for every simulation - In landscape and on iPad, the canvas and controls sit side by side - Supports larger text sizes - VoiceOver reads out each screen's results (pH, voltage, element details, ...) - 73 languages including English and Japanese (follows the device language) - No sign-in; start right away Price and purchases: - Price: free - In-app purchases: none - Subscriptions: none - Ads: a Pangle banner ad at the bottom of the screen The "-raku" education series: - SUUGAKU: Mathematics - BUTURAKU: Mechanics - DENRAKU: Electromagnetism - HARAKU: Waves - KORAKU: Optics - RYORAKU: Quantum mechanics - KAGAKU: Chemistry

Screenshots

MaxwellsDemon2 screens
KAGAKU4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: KAGAKU at Free against MaxwellsDemon's $0.99. KAGAKU also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months). MaxwellsDemon's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

KAGAKU is free to download; MaxwellsDemon costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MaxwellsDemon ships an update every 9 months, KAGAKU every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
MaxwellsDemon versus KAGAKU: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMaxwellsDemonKAGAKU
Price$0.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTakao AkatsuFuji Bit Inc.

In-app purchases

None

MaxwellsDemon

No in-app purchases

None

KAGAKU

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MaxwellsDemon free?
MaxwellsDemon costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is KAGAKU free?
KAGAKU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MaxwellsDemon or KAGAKU have ads?
KAGAKU shows ads; MaxwellsDemon does not.
Which is updated more often, MaxwellsDemon or KAGAKU?
MaxwellsDemon ships an update every 9 months, and KAGAKU every 3 months. Most recently, MaxwellsDemon was updated on November 3, 2026 and KAGAKU on October 29, 2026.

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