Comparison

Phys.org vs e

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

e

Access a comprehensive collection of art-related content, including journal issues, reviews, essays, and event announcements. Discover and save art events worldwide, read articles offline, and share content with others.

Highlights
  • Full journal issues
  • Art reviews and essays
  • Event and exhibition listings
  • Offline reading
  • Search exhibitions and artists
  • Save favorite content
Features
Read full description

The e-flux app for iPhone and iPad includes content from across our publishing network: full issues of the e-flux journal, art-agenda reviews, essays on architecture, podcasts, and carefully-selected announcements for key events at museums, biennials, galleries, and art schools worldwide (and near you). – Search exhibitions, museums, artists, and curators – View current and future exhibitions and events by location – Save your favorite announcements, reviews, and essays – Read content offline wherever you are – Share articles with friends – Listen to podcast episodes in your preferred podcast player Be sure to let us know of any bugs or issues you may encounter by sending us an email at app@e-flux.com !

Screenshots

Phys.org4 screens
e4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: e at none against Phys.org's 1. Phys.org's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. e asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.8 for Phys.org against 2.7 for e. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 35 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of Phys.org's written reviews are positive against 15% of e's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, e every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Phys.org versus e: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhys.orge
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (70 ratings) — better2.7 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews18.5% of reviews — better14.7% of reviews
Number of ratings70 — better35
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB29 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperOmicron Tech Ltde-flux

Customer experience

Phys.org

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

e

All ratings35 ratings
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive14.7%
Neutral2.9%
Negative82.4%

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

e

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Phys.org

Subscriptions1
  • All access$0.991 Month
None

e

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Phys.org free?
Phys.org is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is e free?
e is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or e?
Phys.org is rated higher. Phys.org averages 2.8 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while e averages 2.7 from 35 ratings.
Do Phys.org or e have ads?
Neither Phys.org nor e shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or e?
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, and e every 3 months. Most recently, Phys.org was updated on October 24, 2026 and e on October 24, 2026.

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