Comparison

Popular Science vs BBC Science Focus Magazine

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Popular Science

Explore the latest innovations in technology, science, and future trends. This app delivers news and in-depth articles on gadgets, robotics, healthcare, and energy, making complex topics accessible for curious minds.

Highlights
  • Latest gadget and software news
  • Robotics and defense insights
  • Healthcare and energy breakthroughs
  • Future innovations and trends
  • Understanding big issues
Features
Read full description

Popular Science is the magazine for anyone curious about what’s new and next. With a readership of over 6.4 million, Popular Science is a must-have for technology fans, early adopters, and thought leaders. Popular Science puts the latest news in gadgets, software, and robotics in the palm of your hand! Our articles help anyone understand the ideas and people driving the big issues of the day – whether healthcare, energy, robotics, or defense. News and features also provide perspective on the latest breakthroughs in science and technology. Popular Science represents the best hopes for our planet, our lives, our children, and our future. And we reveal those hopes by featuring the innovations today that are laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow. This is a magazine for readers that want the future now. Social Media loves Popular Science: - 3.5 Million Facebook Fans - 1,250,00 Twitter Followers ==== For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: Privacy Policy: https://www.ziffdavis.com/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://www.ziffdavis.com/legal

About

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Explore the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in science and technology. This app offers in-depth articles, expert interviews, and answers to your burning questions. Enjoy interactive features like text adjustment, bookmarking, and multimedia content.

Highlights
  • Latest issue access
  • Back issue archive
  • Expert interviews
  • Q&A section
  • Adjustable text size
  • Bookmark features
  • Search tool
Features
Read full description

Enjoy BBC Science Focus Magazine, the UK's leading science and technology monthly, on your iPhone and iPad. Dive into the latest issue, download the entire back issue collection and save more with a subscription. From space travel to brain science, BBC Science Focus Magazine will give you the lowdown on the latest discoveries and the big breakthroughs affecting our future. Interviews with leading scientists and world-leading experts will provide you with thoughtful, accurate analysis, helping you to understand what's going on in the fast-moving world of science. Plus, all your burning questions will be answered in the popular Q&A section. Our App makes it easy to read and enjoy each issue with helpful features like text adjust, allowing you to amend the font size for clear reading on any device size. You can also bookmark your favourite features to revisit, and browse our archive of content with the handy search tool. Plus, you'll find stunning video and audio inside which bring each issue to life. **Reality Check Our team investigates the science behind the headlines. We pore over the research and talk to world-leading experts to find answers to questions like: How can you protect yourself from air pollution? Is screen time bad for you? Are all plastics bad for the planet? **Features Every month, the best science writers in the world explore the big mysteries of our time. From the inner workings of our brains to the cosmic machinations of our Universe, each issue is full of surprises. **Radar We share the best science TV, books, podcasts and radio of the month ahead. PLUS tech experts help us find the best gadgets that money can buy. Terms and Conditions: Customers can buy single issues and subscriptions using In App Purchase Subscriptions are available on monthly or annual terms & will unlock all premium content on the BBC Science Focus Magazine Apple News channel. • Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period • You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for that product • You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase • No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. This does not affect your statutory rights • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription • The app may offer a free 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. Visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 for more information. The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. If you would like more information or support please visit our App support page https://www.ourmediaapps.co.uk/apps-faqs/ Our Media Ltd Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://policies.ourmedia.co.uk/privacy-policy/ https://policies.ourmedia.co.uk/website-terms-and-conditions/ **Please note: this digital edition does not include the covermount gifts or supplements you would find with printed copies

Screenshots

Popular Science4 screens
BBC Science Focus Magazine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Popular Science at none against BBC Science Focus Magazine's shown. Popular Science also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). BBC Science Focus Magazine's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Popular Science sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and BBC Science Focus Magazine sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BBC Science Focus Magazine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 135 and 82 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Popular Science's written reviews are positive against 52% of BBC Science Focus Magazine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Popular Science versus BBC Science Focus Magazine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPopular ScienceBBC Science Focus Magazine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (135 ratings)4.7 (82 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.9% of reviews52.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings135 — better82
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZiff DavisOur Media Limited

Customer experience

Popular Science

All ratings135 ratings
Positive81.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative14.8%
Written reviews621 reviews
Positive50.9%
Neutral8.9%
Negative40.3%

BBC Science Focus Magazine

All ratings78 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral3.8%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive52.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative43.0%

User reviews

Popular Science

From 135 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent use of iPad technology
  • 👍 Innovative and interesting design
  • 🖼️ Stunning visuals and photography
  • 📚 Great content and informative articles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
  • 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive navigation
  • 💰 Overpriced issues compared to print
  • 📥 Slow and problematic downloads
  • 🔒 Issues with restoring purchases

BBC Science Focus Magazine

From 82 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent magazine
  • 💡 Great interactive features
  • 👍 Informative and well-presented content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🔍 Poor user interface and navigation
  • 💸 Subscription and purchase problems

Bugs and requests

Popular Science

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Unable to access purchased issues
  • Download progress resets unexpectedly
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to download issues in the background
  • Option to adjust text size and layout
  • Improved table of contents and navigation
  • Better integration with existing subscriptions

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to access purchased content
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Compatibility issues with iOS updates

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Offline reading support
  • Better optimization for newer devices

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Popular Science

Subscriptions2
  • 1 Month Subscription$1.991 Month
  • 1 Year Subscription$11.991 Year
One-time8
  • April 2010$4.99
  • June 2010$4.99
  • July 2010$4.99
Show 5 more
  • September 2010$4.99
  • December 2010$4.99
  • January 2011$4.99
  • March 2011$4.99
  • June 2011$4.99
13 purchases

BBC Science Focus Magazine

Subscriptions8
  • BBC Focus Magazine Apple News$4.991 Month
  • 1-Month Subscription$5.491 Month
  • 3-Month Subscription$12.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • 6-Month Subscription$28.496 Months
  • Discounted Annual Subscription$39.991 Year
  • BBC Focus Magazine Apple News1 Month trial$42.991 Year
  • 12-Month Subscription Bundle$45.991 Year
  • 12-Month Subscription1 Year trial$47.991 Year
One-time5
  • World in Motion: England's StoryFree
  • August 2014$4.99
  • September 2024$5.99
Show 2 more
  • Summer 2024$5.99
  • Complete Your Collection$59.99

Questions

Is Popular Science free?
Popular Science is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BBC Science Focus Magazine free?
BBC Science Focus Magazine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Popular Science or BBC Science Focus Magazine?
BBC Science Focus Magazine is rated higher. Popular Science averages 4.3 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while BBC Science Focus Magazine averages 4.7 from 82 ratings.
Do Popular Science or BBC Science Focus Magazine have ads?
BBC Science Focus Magazine shows ads; Popular Science does not.
Which is updated more often, Popular Science or BBC Science Focus Magazine?
Popular Science ships an update every 2 months, and BBC Science Focus Magazine every 2 months. Most recently, Popular Science was updated on November 1, 2026 and BBC Science Focus Magazine on November 1, 2026.

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