Comparison

Phys.org vs Scientific American

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

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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

Phys.org4 screens
Scientific American4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Phys.org versus Scientific American: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhys.orgScientific American
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (70 ratings)4.8 (10K ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.5% of reviews48.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7010K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#97 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB19 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperOmicron Tech LtdSpringer Nature America, Inc.

Customer experience

Phys.org

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

Scientific American

All ratings10,109 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews338 reviews
Positive48.5%
Neutral8.3%
Negative43.2%

User reviews

Phys.org

From 70 App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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 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

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 more
  • More interactive and multimedia content

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Phys.org

Subscriptions1
  • All access$0.991 Month
20 purchases

Scientific American

Subscriptions3
  • 1 Month Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Scientific American - 1 year Subscription$34.991 Year
  • 1 Year Subscription$49.991 Year
One-time17
  • Scientific American October 2012 issue$5.99
  • Scientific American February 2013 issue$5.99
  • Scientific American August 2013 issue$5.99
Show 14 more
  • 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?
Phys.org is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scientific American free?
Scientific American is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or Scientific American?
Scientific American is rated higher. Phys.org averages 2.8 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while Scientific American averages 4.8 from 10K ratings.
Do Phys.org or Scientific American have ads?
Neither Phys.org nor Scientific American shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or Scientific American?
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, and Scientific American every 5 months. Most recently, Phys.org was updated on September 25, 2026 and Scientific American on September 24, 2026.

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