# Science Now vs New Scientist

The clearest difference is ads: New Scientist at none against Science Now's shown. New Scientist also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 43%) and ratings volume (5.7K vs 140). Science Now's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Science Now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and New Scientist sells 11 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 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: New Scientist has 5.7K ratings behind it against 140, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Science Now's written reviews are positive against 69% of New Scientist's.

Science Now ships an update every 3 months, New Scientist every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Science Now | New Scientist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/science-now/id428269406/reviews) | **[4.8 (5.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 140 | **5.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **68.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#92** |
| Size | 69 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Kelly Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/393931941) | [New Scientist Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259836343) |

## 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 |


### New Scientist

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

**Currently charting:** #92 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #120 Top Grossing · News, #131 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 (11)**

| 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 |
| Essential Guide 10 | $9.99 | 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 Science Now free?

Science Now 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, Science Now or New Scientist?

New Scientist is rated higher. Science Now averages 4.6 out of 5 from 140 ratings, while New Scientist averages 4.8 from 5.7K ratings.

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

Science Now shows ads; New Scientist does not.

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

Science Now ships an update every 3 months, and New Scientist every 2 months. Most recently, Science Now was updated on October 23, 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.*