Phys.org vs Popular Science
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phys.org
Stay updated with daily science and technology news across various fields like physics, space, biology, and engineering. Bookmark and share articles easily. Access a selection of spotlight stories for free, with an option to subscribe for unlimited content.
- Daily science and technology news
- Covers physics, space, biology, engineering, and more
- Bookmark favorite stories
- Share articles
- Ads-free experience
- Free spotlight stories
Read full descriptionHide full description
Daily spotlight science and technology news stories from Phys.org. This includes stories in the fields of physics, nanotechnology, electronics, space and earth sciences, biology, chemistry, computer sciences, engineering, mathematics, etc. Readers may bookmark and share favorite stories from the app. The Phys.org app is ads-free. Free app content is limited to selected spotlight stories. Access to Phys.org's full content is available with the monthly subscription plan for just $0.99. Your first subscription week is free. Monthly subscription options: - Unlimited digital access on any device for $0.99 per month. You will be charged in your local currency at the prevailing exchange rate as defined by App Store. - The app offers 7 days trial. At the end of the free trial period, the full price of the subscription will be charged thereafter. Cancellations must occur 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy policy can be found at http://sciencex.com/help/privacy/ Terms of use: https://sciencex.com/help/terms/ Feedback and comments: https://sciencex.com/help/feedback/
Popular Science
Explore the latest innovations in technology, science, and future trends. This app delivers news and in-depth articles on gadgets, robotics, healthcare, and energy, making complex topics accessible for curious minds.
- Latest gadget and software news
- Robotics and defense insights
- Healthcare and energy breakthroughs
- Future innovations and trends
- Understanding big issues
Read full descriptionHide full description
Popular Science is the magazine for anyone curious about what’s new and next. With a readership of over 6.4 million, Popular Science is a must-have for technology fans, early adopters, and thought leaders. Popular Science puts the latest news in gadgets, software, and robotics in the palm of your hand! Our articles help anyone understand the ideas and people driving the big issues of the day – whether healthcare, energy, robotics, or defense. News and features also provide perspective on the latest breakthroughs in science and technology. Popular Science represents the best hopes for our planet, our lives, our children, and our future. And we reveal those hopes by featuring the innovations today that are laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow. This is a magazine for readers that want the future now. Social Media loves Popular Science: - 3.5 Million Facebook Fans - 1,250,00 Twitter Followers ==== For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: Privacy Policy: https://www.ziffdavis.com/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://www.ziffdavis.com/legal
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Popular Science at 4.3 against Phys.org's 2.8. Popular Science also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 18%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Phys.org sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month and Popular Science sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Popular Science holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 134 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Phys.org's written reviews are positive against 51% of Popular Science's.
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, Popular Science every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phys.org | Popular Science |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (70 ratings) | 4.3 (134 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | 50.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 70 | 134 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 91 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Omicron Tech Ltd | Ziff Davis |
Customer experience
Phys.org
Popular Science
User reviews
Phys.org
From 70 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great content source
- 👍 Informative articles
- 👍 Smooth experience (sometimes)
- 👍 No ads (in some contexts)
- 👍 Well-formatted content
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes when accessing saved articles
- 🐛 App crashes on startup
- 🐛 Unreadable text/links in dark mode
- 🐛 Flickering articles
- 🐛 Login issues
Popular Science
From 134 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent use of iPad technology
- 👍 Innovative and interesting design
- 🖼️ Stunning visuals and photography
- 📚 Great content and informative articles
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive navigation
- 💰 Overpriced issues compared to print
- 📥 Slow and problematic downloads
- 🔒 Issues with restoring purchases
Bugs and requests
Phys.org
Reported bugs
14 issues- App crashes when trying to view saved articles
- App crashes on startup
- App crashes after iOS updates
- Login issues
- Subscription not working
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Blank screen for content
- Flickering articles
- SSL errors
- Favorites bug (crashes when accessing)
- Tech feed not working
- Dark blue hyperlinks unreadable in dark mode
- Side swipe gesture reloads article
- Orientation change reloads article and loses scroll position
- No data connection error
Requested features
10 requests- Add search functionality
- Sync ScienceX account for saved articles
- Improve dark mode readability
- Add Stage Manager support for iPadOS
- Add Apple Watch compatibility
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Consolidate updates into an 'All' tab
- Allow offline reading of more than a few articles
- Add audio narration or video summaries
- Allow toggling light/dark mode independently of OS
- Filter articles by specific science subjects
Popular Science
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes frequently
- Unable to access purchased issues
- Download progress resets unexpectedly
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to download issues in the background
- Option to adjust text size and layout
- Improved table of contents and navigation
- Better integration with existing subscriptions
In-app purchases
Phys.org
- All access$0.991 Month
Popular Science
- 1 Month Subscription$1.991 Month
- 1 Year Subscription$11.991 Year
- April 2010$4.99
- June 2010$4.99
- July 2010$4.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- September 2010$4.99
- December 2010$4.99
- January 2011$4.99
- March 2011$4.99
- June 2011$4.99
Questions
Is Phys.org free?
Is Popular Science free?
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or Popular Science?
Do Phys.org or Popular Science have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or Popular Science?
Other comparisons















