Comparison

Phys.org vs Science Now

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Daily science and technology news
  • Covers physics, space, biology, engineering, and more
  • Bookmark favorite stories
  • Share articles
  • Ads-free experience
  • Free spotlight stories
Features
Read 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/

About

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.

Highlights
  • Latest scientific research and discoveries
  • Space exploration and innovation news
  • Technological breakthroughs
  • Radiation readings and space weather
  • Data and imagery from NASA, NIST, NOAA
Features
Read full description

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

Phys.org4 screens
Science Now4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Phys.org versus Science Now: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhys.orgScience Now
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (70 ratings)4.6 (140 ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.5% of reviews42.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings70140 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB69 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperOmicron Tech LtdKelly Technology Inc.

Customer experience

Phys.org

All ratings70 ratings
Positive37.1%
Neutral15.7%
Negative47.1%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive18.5%
Neutral15.4%
Negative66.2%

Science Now

All ratings140 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral8.6%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative50.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

1 purchases

Phys.org

Subscriptions1
  • All access$0.991 Month
3 purchases

Science Now

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Upgrade$0.991 Month
One-time2
  • Space Weather$4.99
  • Remove Ads$6.99

Questions

Is Phys.org free?
Phys.org is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Science Now free?
Science Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or Science Now?
Science Now is rated higher. Phys.org averages 2.8 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while Science Now averages 4.6 from 140 ratings.
Do Phys.org or Science Now have ads?
Science Now shows ads; Phys.org does not.
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or Science Now?
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, and Science Now every 3 months. Most recently, Phys.org was updated on September 25, 2026 and Science Now on September 24, 2026.

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