iTemblor Earthquake Simulator vs MaPhET
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iTemblor Earthquake Simulator
Explore earthquake shaking intensity by relating the acceleration you impart on your phone to the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale. Visualize shaking in 2D or 3D seismograms, with options to filter data for realistic earthquake simulations. Primarily for educational and entertainment purposes.
- MMI scale simulation
- Seismoscope view (2D)
- Time Series view (3D seismogram)
- Gravity removal
- Low-pass filtering
- Educational and entertainment focus
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Use iTemblor to explore the relationship between acceleration you impart on your phone and earthquake shaking intensity, based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale. While the familiar Richter earthquake magnitude relationship (and others) scale with recorded ground movement, the MMI scale is a qualitative or observational scale of earthquake shaking intensity developed for comparing earthquake effects in locations where there are no seismographs. The Seismoscope View - The seismoscope is one of the oldest earthquake measurement devices, dating back to ancient China, and records the intensity and direction of shaking in the horizontal plane. In the spirit of the seismoscope, it’s most accurate to use this view by placing your phone on a flat surface (or hold it roughly horizontal) and to shake it horizontally. The movements you impart, plotted in 2D, are measured as acceleration in time which is then converted into MMI values using an empirical relationship between ground acceleration and MMI shaking intensity (Richter, 1958, Western United States). The Time Series View - The time series view is a traditional seismogram view that plots the accelerations you impart to your phone in 3 dimensions (x, y and z axes). You will see two traces for each axis, orange and green. The orange represents the raw acceleration data with the effects of gravity removed. The green represents the same data after the application of a low pass filter. The low pass filter is used to dampen your input to stay approximately within the frequency bandwidth of large earthquakes. The continuous time series is approximately 10 seconds long and is plotted in units of % gravity (G) The Data - iTemblor records the accelerations you impart onto your device and subtracts the effect of gravity. Then, a low pass filter is applied to constrain the recordings to stay within the bandwidth of large earthquakes (less than 10 hertz). The seismoscope view displays the fully filtered signal (equivalent to the green trace in the time series view). The time series view displays two traces. Both have gravity removed. The green trace has been low pass filtered (as described) and the orange trace has not. iTemblor is designed to provide fun and interesting correlations between the accelerations you impart on your iPhone through shaking and earthquake intensity. Efforts have been made to create generalized and realistic representations using published empirical data. Earthquakes are very complex and variable processes, therefore, iTemblor results should be viewed as approximate at best and be used for educational and entertainment purposes only.
MaPhET
This app serves as a comprehensive educational tool, offering a powerful calculator with detailed calculation paths, unit conversions, and a vast collection of formulas for math, physics, and chemistry. It also includes tools for date calculations, random number generation, and geometric figure analysis.
- Advanced calculator with calculation path
- Extensive unit conversions
- Collection of math, physics, and chemistry formulas
- Date difference calculation
- Geometric figure analysis
- Random number and letter generator
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Main functions: • Calculator - Basic arithmetic operations, powers, percentages, sine, cosine, tangent, root, logarithm, factorial - Output with calculation path and bracket resolution • Conversion of units of measure - Length, area, volume, temperature, weight, speed, pressure, energy, acceleration, force, power, time, data storage, transfer rate • • Calculation of date differences and adding and subtracting with dates • Random Numbers • Random Letter • Roll the dice • Greek alphabet • Prefixes for units of measure • Number sequences and prime numbers • Calculation of triangles with a calculation path • Mathematical basics • Arithmetic laws, set theory • Equations and functions • Linear functions and quadratic functions • Draw functions • Geometry basics • Angles, triangles, squares, circles • Prisms, cylinders, pyramids, circular cones, spheres • Geometric solids and figures • Physics formulas • Physical quantities and units with value tables • Physical constants • Chemistry formulas and periodic table of elements • Extensive search function
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: iTemblor Earthquake Simulator at Free against MaPhET's $1.99. iTemblor Earthquake Simulator also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). MaPhET's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 11 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases 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
iTemblor Earthquake Simulator is free to download; MaPhET costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iTemblor Earthquake Simulator ships an update every 11 months, MaPhET every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iTemblor Earthquake Simulator | MaPhET |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jess Taylor | Jens-Peter Bardt |
Customer experience
iTemblor Earthquake Simulator
MaPhET
In-app purchases
iTemblor Earthquake Simulator
No in-app purchases
MaPhET
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iTemblor Earthquake Simulator free?
Is MaPhET free?
Do iTemblor Earthquake Simulator or MaPhET have ads?
Which is updated more often, iTemblor Earthquake Simulator or MaPhET?
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