Phys.org vs GetClearNews
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
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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/
GetClearNews
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ClearNews is a clean, no-nonsense news reader that pulls articles from over 40 sources across 13 categories — without clickbait, ad overload, or algorithmic manipulation. Just the news, presented clearly. Browse headlines from trusted sources like AP News, BBC, Ars Technica, The Verge, NPR, Condé Nast Traveler, and many more. Every article is sourced from publicly available RSS feeds and financial news APIs. FEATURES • 40+ sources across 13 categories: General, Technology, Science, Finance, Health, Sports, Entertainment, Feel Good, Offbeat, Travel, India, Local (Seattle), and more • Built-in reader view — read articles in a clean, distraction-free format without leaving the app • Category filtering — browse by topic with one tap • Search — find articles by keyword across all sources • Dark mode — full support for light, dark, and system themes • Pull to refresh — get the latest articles on demand • Share articles directly from the feed or reader view • No account required — works immediately, no sign-up READER VIEW Tap any article to read it in a clean, ad-free reader view. Font size is adjustable. If a source restricts access, you can always open the original article in Safari. PRIVACY No ads. No tracking. No analytics. No data collection. Your reading habits stay on your device. See our full privacy policy at getclearnews.com/privacy. ClearNews is a personal project built for people who just want to read the news without the noise.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GetClearNews at none against Phys.org's 1. GetClearNews also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Phys.org's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. GetClearNews asks for nothing beyond the download.
Phys.org ships an update every 5 weeks, GetClearNews every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phys.org | GetClearNews |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (70 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 18.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 70 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Omicron Tech Ltd | NIKHIL SINGHAL |
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
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- 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
GetClearNews
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Phys.org
- All access$0.991 Month
GetClearNews
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Phys.org free?
Is GetClearNews free?
Do Phys.org or GetClearNews have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phys.org or GetClearNews?
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