Phys.org vs Science Now
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
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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/
Science Now
Stay updated with the latest scientific research and discoveries delivered directly to your mobile device. Explore space exploration, technological breakthroughs, and environmental data from leading organizations.
- Latest scientific research and discoveries
- Space exploration and innovation news
- Technological breakthroughs
- Radiation readings and space weather
- Data and imagery from NASA, NIST, NOAA
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Science Now directs the latest scientific research and discoveries to your mobile device, including information on space exploration, discovery, technology, and innovation from NASA, technical and scientific breakthroughs from NIST, the latest radiation readings from worldwide monitors and space weather from NOAA. All data and imagery is courtesy of NASA, NIST, NOAA, and SafeCast. The Premium Upgrade subscription price of 0.99 USD (in your local currency) will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and, for each renewal, within 24 hours prior to the end of the current month. You can cancel the subscription at any time through your iTunes account settings, but you must do so at least 24 hours before the end of the current month to avoid being charged, and ads will show again at the start of the subsequent month. Terms of use: https://www.kellytechnology.com/privacy/tac.html Privacy policy: https://www.kellytechnology.com/privacy/privacy_policy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Science Now at 4.6 against Phys.org's 2.8. Science Now also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 18%). Phys.org's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Phys.org sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month and Science Now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Science Now holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 140 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Phys.org's written reviews are positive against 43% of Science Now's.
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, Science Now every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phys.org | Science Now |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (70 ratings) | 4.6 (140 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | 42.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 70 | 140 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Omicron Tech Ltd | Kelly Technology Inc. |
Customer experience
Phys.org
Science Now
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
Science Now
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Phys.org
- All access$0.991 Month
Science Now
- Premium Upgrade$0.991 Month
- Space Weather$4.99
- Remove Ads$6.99
Questions
Is Phys.org free?
Is Science Now free?
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or Science Now?
Do Phys.org or Science Now have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or Science Now?
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