Comparison

Phys.org vs DISCOVER Magazine

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

DISCOVER Magazine

Explore captivating advancements in science, medicine, technology, and the world. This app offers stunning photography and easy-to-understand articles on complex topics, connecting you with leading scientific ideas and minds.

Highlights
  • Captivating science developments
  • Spectacular photography
  • Understandable stories on complex subjects
  • Latest news in health and medicine
  • Cutting-edge technology insights
  • Award-winning editorial content
Features
Read full description

Take an exciting adventure with Discover Magazine as it reports captivating developments in science, medicine, technology, and the world around us. Spectacular photography and refreshingly understandable stories on complex subjects connect everyday people with the greatest ideas and minds in science.  Every issue of Discover delivers the latest news, theories, and developments in the world of science, compelling stories and breakthroughs in health, medicine, and the mind, environmental issues and their relevance to daily life, cutting-edge technology and its impact on our future, thought-provoking articles from award-winning editors, opinion makers, Nobel laureates, and renegade scientists.  DISCOVER subscriptions available:  - Monthly = ($2.49 USD) automatically renewed until cancelled - Annual Subscription, 4 issues per year = ($19.99 USD), automatically renewed until cancelled  When purchasing through iTunes your account will be charged at confirmation of purchase.  Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal.  You can turn off auto-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings.  No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period.  Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.  Privacy Policy:  https://www.discovermagazine.com/page/privacy  Terms of Use: https://www.discovermagazine.com/page/terms

Screenshots

Phys.org4 screens
DISCOVER Magazine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Phys.org at 2.8 against DISCOVER Magazine's 1.5. Phys.org also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). DISCOVER Magazine's advantage is review sentiment (42% vs 18%). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

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 DISCOVER Magazine sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phys.org holds the better App Store score, 2.8 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 47 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 18% of Phys.org's written reviews are positive against 42% of DISCOVER Magazine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, DISCOVER Magazine every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Phys.org versus DISCOVER Magazine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhys.orgDISCOVER Magazine
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (70 ratings) — better1.5 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews18.5% of reviews42.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings70 — better47
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB66 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperOmicron Tech LtdDiscover Magazine Inc.

Customer experience

Phys.org

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

DISCOVER Magazine

All ratings47 ratings
Positive10.6%
Neutral2.1%
Negative87.2%
Written reviews137 reviews
Positive42.3%
Neutral6.6%
Negative51.1%

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

DISCOVER Magazine

From 47 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📚 High-quality, informative science content
  • 👍 Magazine layout replicates print edition well
  • 📖 Accessible science writing for general audiences
  • 💰 Affordable subscription pricing
  • 🎨 Beautiful photography and visual design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 🔐 Subscription access issues and authentication failures
  • 📵 Poor text scaling and readability on iPad
  • 🔄 App loses reading position between sessions
  • ⚠️ Requires internet connection to read offline content

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

DISCOVER Magazine

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • Restore purchases function freezes or fails
  • Login fails with valid Apple ID credentials
  • Text size changes revert to default
  • Page scrolling causes jumping and flickering
Show 7 more
  • App loses subscription recognition after renewal
  • Issues fail to download with file missing errors
  • Black screen appears when opening issues
  • App unresponsive and slow to load
  • Archive skips issues or displays incomplete history
  • Notification badge shows incorrect count
  • iOS 13+ compatibility issues

Requested features

10 requests
  • Bookmark or page position memory feature
  • Improved text scaling without layout jumping
  • Better archive organization with clear date labels
  • Dashboard menu for managing downloaded issues
  • Offline reading capability
Show 5 more
  • Complimentary digital access with print subscription
  • Table of contents for quick article navigation
  • Dark mode option
  • Responsive design for different device sizes
  • Subscription expiration date display

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Phys.org

Subscriptions1
  • All access$0.991 Month
10 purchases

DISCOVER Magazine

Subscriptions2
  • DISCOVER Magazine$2.491 Month
  • DISCOVER Magazine$19.991 Year
One-time8
  • September 2012$5.99
  • October 2012$5.99
  • November 2012$5.99
Show 5 more
  • December 2012$5.99
  • January 2013$5.99
  • March 2013$5.99
  • May 2013$5.99
  • January 2014$5.99

Questions

Is Phys.org free?
Phys.org is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DISCOVER Magazine free?
DISCOVER Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phys.org or DISCOVER Magazine?
Phys.org is rated higher. Phys.org averages 2.8 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while DISCOVER Magazine averages 1.5 from 47 ratings.
Do Phys.org or DISCOVER Magazine have ads?
Neither Phys.org nor DISCOVER Magazine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or DISCOVER Magazine?
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, and DISCOVER Magazine every 4 months. Most recently, Phys.org was updated on September 25, 2026 and DISCOVER Magazine on September 24, 2026.

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