Comparison

Science Now vs Layers

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Science Now

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
Read full description

Science Now directs the latest scientific research and discoveries to your mobile device, including information on space exploration, discovery, technology, and innovation from NASA, technical and scientific breakthroughs from NIST, the latest radiation readings from worldwide monitors and space weather from NOAA. All data and imagery is courtesy of NASA, NIST, NOAA, and SafeCast. The Premium Upgrade subscription price of 0.99 USD (in your local currency) will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and, for each renewal, within 24 hours prior to the end of the current month. You can cancel the subscription at any time through your iTunes account settings, but you must do so at least 24 hours before the end of the current month to avoid being charged, and ads will show again at the start of the subsequent month. Terms of use: https://www.kellytechnology.com/privacy/tac.html Privacy policy: https://www.kellytechnology.com/privacy/privacy_policy.html

About

Layers

Features
Read full description

Replace doom scrolling with interesting stories from the world of science each day. Layers takes real research papers from every field - tech, health, space, earth science, psychology - and rewrites them so anyone can understand. Every day, we surface the most interesting new discoveries and explain them in plain English. No jargon. No textbook framing. HOW IT WORKS Layer 1: Scroll through today's science. Each card is a real paper with a hook headline and a 2-3 sentence summary. Layer 2: Tap any card to go deeper. Get the full breakdown: what they found, why it matters, and the surprising details you won't get from a headline. FEATURES - 5 categories: Tech, Health, Space, Earth, Mind - Swipe right to save papers for later - Reading streaks to build a daily habit - Share discoveries with friends - No accounts, no ads Built for curious people who don't read science papers, but would if someone explained them properly.

Screenshots

Science Now4 screens
Layers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Layers at none against Science Now's 3. Layers also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Science Now ships an update every 3 months, Layers every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Science Now versus Layers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScience NowLayers
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (140 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings140 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB31 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperKelly Technology Inc.Flynn Lachendro

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Science Now

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Upgrade$0.991 Month
One-time2
  • Space Weather$4.99
  • Remove Ads$6.99
None

Layers

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Science Now free?
Science Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Layers free?
Layers is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Science Now or Layers have ads?
Science Now shows ads; Layers does not.
Which is updated more often, Science Now or Layers?
Science Now ships an update every 3 months, and Layers every 2 days. Most recently, Science Now was updated on November 1, 2026 and Layers on October 24, 2026.

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