# Popular Science vs New Scientist

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Popular Science | New Scientist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popular-science/id364049283/reviews) | **[4.8 (5.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 135 | **5.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.9% of reviews | **68.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#97** |
| Size | 91 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Ziff Davis](https://appshunter.io/developer/6792869834) | [New Scientist Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259836343) |

## What reviewers say

### Popular Science

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popular-science/id364049283)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| 1 Year Subscription | $11.99 | per year |
| April 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| June 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2010 | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |
| March 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |
| June 2011 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403)

**Currently charting:** #97 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #144 Top Grossing · News, #171 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** Daily news updates, Latest issue access, Science videos, Weekly podcast, Audio articles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| 12 Month Subscription | $179.99 | per year |
| August 30 2014 | $1.99 | one-time |
| October 04 2014 | $1.99 | one-time |
| July 16 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| September 03 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| October 01 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| November 19 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fascinating and informative content
- 🚀 Accessible and easy to read
- 🤓 Covers a wide range of scientific topics
- 📚 Valuable source of up-to-date science news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with login and subscription issues
- 🔒 Difficult to manage subscriptions and access content
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🙄 Forced subscription model and lack of transparency

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to recognize active subscriptions
- Downloading and accessing content is unreliable
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Inconsistent user experience across platforms

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Popular Science free?

Popular Science is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is New Scientist free?

New Scientist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Popular Science or New Scientist?

New Scientist is rated higher. Popular Science averages 4.3 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while New Scientist averages 4.8 from 5.7K ratings.

### Do Popular Science or New Scientist have ads?

Neither Popular Science nor New Scientist shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Popular Science or New Scientist?

Popular Science ships an update every 2 months, and New Scientist every 2 months. Most recently, Popular Science was updated on November 1, 2026 and New Scientist on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*