Phys.org vs BBC Science Focus Magazine
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/
BBC Science Focus Magazine
Explore the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in science and technology. This app offers in-depth articles, expert interviews, and answers to your burning questions. Enjoy interactive features like text adjustment, bookmarking, and multimedia content.
- Latest issue access
- Back issue archive
- Expert interviews
- Q&A section
- Adjustable text size
- Bookmark features
- Search tool
Read full descriptionHide full description
Enjoy BBC Science Focus Magazine, the UK's leading science and technology monthly, on your iPhone and iPad. Dive into the latest issue, download the entire back issue collection and save more with a subscription. From space travel to brain science, BBC Science Focus Magazine will give you the lowdown on the latest discoveries and the big breakthroughs affecting our future. Interviews with leading scientists and world-leading experts will provide you with thoughtful, accurate analysis, helping you to understand what's going on in the fast-moving world of science. Plus, all your burning questions will be answered in the popular Q&A section. Our App makes it easy to read and enjoy each issue with helpful features like text adjust, allowing you to amend the font size for clear reading on any device size. You can also bookmark your favourite features to revisit, and browse our archive of content with the handy search tool. Plus, you'll find stunning video and audio inside which bring each issue to life. **Reality Check Our team investigates the science behind the headlines. We pore over the research and talk to world-leading experts to find answers to questions like: How can you protect yourself from air pollution? Is screen time bad for you? Are all plastics bad for the planet? **Features Every month, the best science writers in the world explore the big mysteries of our time. From the inner workings of our brains to the cosmic machinations of our Universe, each issue is full of surprises. **Radar We share the best science TV, books, podcasts and radio of the month ahead. PLUS tech experts help us find the best gadgets that money can buy. Terms and Conditions: Customers can buy single issues and subscriptions using In App Purchase Subscriptions are available on monthly or annual terms & will unlock all premium content on the BBC Science Focus Magazine Apple News channel. • Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for that product • You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. This does not affect your statutory rights • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription • The app may offer a free 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. Visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 for more information. The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. If you would like more information or support please visit our App support page https://www.ourmediaapps.co.uk/apps-faqs/ Our Media Ltd Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://policies.ourmedia.co.uk/privacy-policy/ https://policies.ourmedia.co.uk/website-terms-and-conditions/ **Please note: this digital edition does not include the covermount gifts or supplements you would find with printed copies
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BBC Science Focus Magazine at 4.7 against Phys.org's 2.8. BBC Science Focus Magazine also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 18%). Phys.org's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 BBC Science Focus Magazine sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
BBC Science Focus Magazine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 78 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Phys.org's written reviews are positive against 52% of BBC Science Focus Magazine's.
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, BBC Science Focus Magazine every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phys.org | BBC Science Focus Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (70 ratings) | 4.7 (78 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | 52.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 70 | 78 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Omicron Tech Ltd | Our Media Limited |
Customer experience
Phys.org
BBC Science Focus Magazine
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
BBC Science Focus Magazine
From 78 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ⭐ Excellent magazine
- 💡 Great interactive features
- 👍 Informative and well-presented content
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Poor user interface and navigation
- 💸 Subscription and purchase problems
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
BBC Science Focus Magazine
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to access purchased content
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Compatibility issues with iOS updates
Requested features
3 requests- Dark mode option
- Offline reading support
- Better optimization for newer devices
In-app purchases
Phys.org
- All access$0.991 Month
BBC Science Focus Magazine
- BBC Focus Magazine Apple News$4.991 Month
- 1-Month Subscription$5.491 Month
- 3-Month Subscription$12.993 Months
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- 6-Month Subscription$28.496 Months
- Discounted Annual Subscription$39.991 Year
- BBC Focus Magazine Apple News1 Month trial$42.991 Year
- 12-Month Subscription Bundle$45.991 Year
- 12-Month Subscription1 Month trial$47.991 Year
- World in Motion: England's StoryFree
- August 2014$4.99
- September 2024$5.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Summer 2024$5.99
- Complete Your Collection$59.99
Questions
Is Phys.org free?
Is BBC Science Focus Magazine free?
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or BBC Science Focus Magazine?
Do Phys.org or BBC Science Focus Magazine have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or BBC Science Focus Magazine?
Other comparisons















