Popular Science vs New Scientist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Latest gadget and software news
- Robotics and defense insights
- Healthcare and energy breakthroughs
- Future innovations and trends
- Understanding big issues
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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
New Scientist
Access award-winning journalism on science and technology. Read daily news, watch videos, and listen to podcasts covering topics from AI to quantum physics. Log in with your subscription for full access.
- Daily news updates
- Latest issue access
- Science videos
- Weekly podcast
- Audio articles
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Discover award-winning journalism with the New Scientist app. From artificial intelligence to climate change, and the latest innovations in healthcare to the mysteries of quantum physics and the human mind, New Scientist is your trusted, impartial source of information about what is going on in the world. Read daily news updates and our latest issues Watch fascinating videos – from robotics to rare animal behaviour Listen to our weekly podcast and audio articles Download the app for free now. Already a subscriber? Log in with your newscientist.com account to unlock your full access. Need help? Visit newscientist.com/help Terms of Use: https://www.newscientist.com/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: New Scientist at 4.8 against Popular Science's 4.3. New Scientist also leads on ratings volume (5.7K vs 135) and review sentiment (69% vs 51%). Popular Science's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Popular Science sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and New Scientist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
New Scientist holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: New Scientist has 5.7K ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Popular Science's written reviews are positive against 69% of New Scientist's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Popular Science | New Scientist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (135 ratings) | 4.8 (5.7K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.9% of reviews | 68.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 135 | 5.7K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #97 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 91 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Ziff Davis | New Scientist Ltd |
Customer experience
Popular Science
New Scientist
User reviews
Popular Science
From 135 App Store ratingsWhat 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
New Scientist
From 5.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fascinating and informative content
- 🚀 Accessible and easy to read
- 🤓 Covers a wide range of scientific topics
- 📚 Valuable source of up-to-date science news
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy app with login and subscription issues
- 🔒 Difficult to manage subscriptions and access content
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🙄 Forced subscription model and lack of transparency
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
New Scientist
Reported bugs
4 issues- App fails to recognize active subscriptions
- Downloading and accessing content is unreliable
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Inconsistent user experience across platforms
Requested features
4 requests- Add dark mode option
- Improve navigation and ability to resume reading
- Implement better syncing and cross-device access
- Provide more customization options for text size and font
In-app purchases
Popular Science
- 1 Month Subscription$1.991 Month
- 1 Year Subscription$11.991 Year
- April 2010$4.99
- June 2010$4.99
- July 2010$4.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- September 2010$4.99
- December 2010$4.99
- January 2011$4.99
- March 2011$4.99
- June 2011$4.99
New Scientist
- 1 Month Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- 3 Month Subscription$49.993 Months
- 1 Year Subscription$99.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- 12 Month Subscription$179.991 Year
- August 30 2014$1.99
- October 04 2014$1.99
- July 16 2016$1.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- September 03 2016$1.99
- October 01 2016$1.99
- November 19 2016$1.99
Questions
Is Popular Science free?
Is New Scientist free?
Which has better reviews, Popular Science or New Scientist?
Do Popular Science or New Scientist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Popular Science or New Scientist?
Other comparisons
