Phys.org vs Scientific American
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/
Scientific American
Access expert insights on groundbreaking science and technology advances. Stay informed with news, commentary, and in-depth features from leading scientists. Explore the modern world through a trusted lens.
- Expert science and technology insights
- News and commentary on current events
- In-depth features by Nobel laureates
- Coverage of important scientific advances
- Essential guide to the modern world
Read full descriptionHide full description
Founded in 1845, Scientific American provides expert insights on the most important and awe-inspiring advances in science and technology. With news and commentary about current events and in-depth features by experts, including more than 200 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, Scientific American is the essential guide to the modern world. Support Science Journalism. Become a Subscriber. A subscription to Scientific American is available through iTunes for $49.99 annually and is renewed automatically at the end of the subscription term, until canceled. Individual issues are $9.99 each. Payment for all purchases will be charged to your iTunes account. For more information, please visit iTunes Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/volume/us/terms.html Founded in 1845, Scientific American provides expert insights on the most important and awe-inspiring advances in science and technology. With news and commentary about current events and in-depth features by experts, including more than 200 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, Scientific American is the essential guide to the modern world. Support Science Journalism. Become a Subscriber. Scientific American Customer Service: Email: help@sciam.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Scientific American at 4.8 against Phys.org's 2.8. Scientific American also leads on review sentiment (49% vs 18%) and ratings volume (10K vs 70). Phys.org's advantage is monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Scientific American sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Scientific American holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scientific American has 10K ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Phys.org's written reviews are positive against 49% of Scientific American's.
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, Scientific American every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phys.org | Scientific American |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (70 ratings) | 4.8 (10K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | 48.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 70 | 10K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | #97 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Omicron Tech Ltd | Springer Nature America, Inc. |
Customer experience
Phys.org
Scientific American
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
Scientific American
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great reading experience
- 👍 Intuitive navigation
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Broad range of topics
- 👍 Reliable content
Room to improve
- 🐛 Subscription issues and login problems
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and crashes
- 🐛 Buggy downloads and lost content
- 🐛 Lack of offline reading options
- 🐛 Outdated and poor app design
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
Scientific American
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent login issues and lost subscriptions
- Unreliable downloads and disappearing content
- Crashes and performance problems, especially on newer iOS
- Outdated app design and lack of modern features
Requested features
6 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved bookmarking and article saving
- Better search and organization tools
- Ability to adjust font size and display settings
- Seamless sync across devices
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- More interactive and multimedia content
In-app purchases
Phys.org
- All access$0.991 Month
Scientific American
- 1 Month Subscription$5.991 Month
- Scientific American - 1 year Subscription$34.991 Year
- 1 Year Subscription$49.991 Year
- Scientific American October 2012 issue$5.99
- Scientific American February 2013 issue$5.99
- Scientific American August 2013 issue$5.99
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Scientific American September 2013 issue$5.99
- Scientific American January 2014 issue$5.99
- Scientific American issue for November 2014$5.99
- Scientific American issue for September 2015$5.99
- SciAm Oct 2023$9.99
- SciAm March 2023$9.99
- SciAm May 2023$9.99
- SciAm January 2023$9.99
- SciAm April 2023$9.99
- SciAm Jul/Aug 2023$9.99
- SciAm June 2023$9.99
- SciAm Sept 2023$9.99
- SciAm Nov 2023$9.99
- SciAm Dec 2023$9.99
Questions
Is Phys.org free?
Is Scientific American free?
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or Scientific American?
Do Phys.org or Scientific American have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or Scientific American?
Other comparisons















