# The Elements by Theodore Gray vs Universe in a Nutshell

The clearest difference is price: Universe in a Nutshell at $2.99 against The Elements by Theodore Gray's $9.99. Universe in a Nutshell also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

The Elements by Theodore Gray costs $9.99 and Universe in a Nutshell $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Universe in a Nutshell holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universe in a Nutshell has 2.5K ratings behind it against 123, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of The Elements by Theodore Gray's written reviews are positive against 89% of Universe in a Nutshell's.

The Elements by Theodore Gray ships an update every 3 months, Universe in a Nutshell every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Elements by Theodore Gray | Universe in a Nutshell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.6 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elements-by-theodore-gray/id364147847/reviews) | **[4.9 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universe-in-a-nutshell/id1526364758/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 123 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 73.1% of reviews | **89.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1.5 GB | 320 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NatureGuides Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/310574314) | [in a nutshell - kurzgesagt GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526364760) |

## What reviewers say

### The Elements by Theodore Gray

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-elements-by-theodore-gray/id364147847)

Explore the building blocks of the universe with this interactive guide to the periodic table. Discover beautifully photographed elements, fascinating stories, and detailed 3D models of over 500 objects, all presented in multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Living periodic table interface, Rotating 3D element samples, Detailed 3D object models, Pinch-zoom and 3D stereo viewing, Multilingual support, Fascinating stories and facts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Stunning visuals and 3D animations
- 📚 Comprehensive information on elements
- 🎨 Engaging and humorous writing style
- 🏫 Excellent educational tool for all ages

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find specific elements
- 🔌 Massive file size takes up a lot of storage
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive for the limited content

**Reported bugs**

- Element descriptions cut off on iPhone 6 Plus
- Crashes when switching landscape orientations
- Unable to download app after initial purchase

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable animations
- Improve periodic table navigation
- Include more detailed scientific information
- Support multiple languages and spellings


### Universe in a Nutshell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universe-in-a-nutshell/id1526364758)

Explore the vastness of the universe, from subatomic particles to distant galaxies, through an interactive, swipe-based journey. Understand true scale by comparing objects and discover fascinating facts about over 250 animated illustrations. Immerse yourself in the cosmos with original music.

**Highlights:** Interactive scale exploration, Seamless zooming from 10^-35m to 10^26m, Fun facts about objects, Explanations for each object, Over 250 animated illustrations, Original music soundtrack

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fascinating and educational
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and animations
- 🎶 Relaxing background music
- 📚 Comprehensive information on a wide range of topics
- 🔍 Intuitive and easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on some devices, especially older iPhones
- 🔍 Difficulty comparing sizes of objects due to positioning
- 🕹️ Laggy animations and transitions on some devices
- 🌐 Lack of offline functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch for some users
- Overlapping hit boxes make it difficult to select certain objects

**Requested features**

- Add more objects to explore (e.g. Uranus, Eris, more moons, etc.)
- Implement a search function to quickly find specific objects
- Add the ability to compare multiple objects side-by-side
- Include more in-depth scientific information and facts
- Provide an option to have the descriptions read aloud


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Elements by Theodore Gray free?

The Elements by Theodore Gray costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Universe in a Nutshell free?

Universe in a Nutshell costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Elements by Theodore Gray or Universe in a Nutshell?

Universe in a Nutshell is rated higher. The Elements by Theodore Gray averages 4.6 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while Universe in a Nutshell averages 4.9 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do The Elements by Theodore Gray or Universe in a Nutshell have ads?

Neither The Elements by Theodore Gray nor Universe in a Nutshell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Elements by Theodore Gray or Universe in a Nutshell?

The Elements by Theodore Gray ships an update every 3 months, and Universe in a Nutshell every 4 days. Most recently, The Elements by Theodore Gray was updated on November 6, 2026 and Universe in a Nutshell on November 7, 2026.

---

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