# Science Now vs Columbian

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Columbian at none against Science Now's 3. Columbian also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Science Now's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 21 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Science Now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Columbian asks for nothing beyond the download.

Science Now ships an update every 3 months, Columbian every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Science Now | Columbian |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/science-now/id428269406/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **140** | — |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 21 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 69 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kelly Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/393931941) | [Emmerich Newspapers, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1636309161) |

## What reviewers say

### Science Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/science-now/id428269406)

Stay updated with the latest scientific research and discoveries delivered directly to your mobile device. Explore space exploration, technological breakthroughs, and environmental data from leading organizations.

**Highlights:** Latest scientific research and discoveries, Space exploration and innovation news, Technological breakthroughs, Radiation readings and space weather, Data and imagery from NASA, NIST, NOAA

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Upgrade | $0.99 | per month |
| Space Weather | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |


### Columbian

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/columbian-progress/id6443842696)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Science Now free?

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

### Is Columbian free?

Columbian is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Science Now or Columbian have ads?

Science Now shows ads; Columbian does not.

### Which is updated more often, Science Now or Columbian?

Science Now ships an update every 3 months, and Columbian every 21 months. Most recently, Science Now was updated on September 24, 2026 and Columbian on October 4, 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.*