Comparison

ReactionFlash vs Backside Attack

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

Head to head
About

ReactionFlash

This app serves as a comprehensive flashcard-style learning tool for named chemical reactions. It provides detailed information on reaction mechanisms and examples from scientific literature, with a quiz mode to test user knowledge.

Highlights
  • Learn named chemical reactions
  • Understand reaction mechanisms
  • View literature examples
  • Quiz mode for knowledge testing
  • Flashcard interface
Features
Read full description

Want to refresh your memory on named chemical reactions before an exam or a group meeting? Get all the details with ReactionFlash(R) as a great way to learn named reactions, understand their mechanisms and view examples published in peer-reviewed literature. Designed and developed in consultation with Professor Dr. Erick M. Carreira of ETH Zürich, the app covers 1'266 named chemical reactions, by far the largest collection of Named Reactions. Professor Carreira has helped ensure that we have all the fundamental reactions that should be part of every chemist’s toolkit: from the best-known ones to the ones only Nobel Prize winners remember! The app is designed like a set of flash cards so it can be used as a learning tool as well as a reference. Each ‘card’ shows the reaction, its mechanism and examples from peer-reviewed, published literature. It also has a quiz mode that lets you test your knowledge. Linking into Reaxys enables you to find the most recent examples of each reaction, many with experimental details. Reaxys delivers experimental facts from the literature, enabling researchers to find the best synthetic routes and conditions. Find out more at https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/reaxys Download the app now and see if you know all the named reactions! Summary: - Learn named reactions - Review and understand mechanisms - Explore examples published in peer-reviewed literature - Take the ReactionFlash quiz and see how much you know If you need support, please contact us at reactionflash@elsevier.com. Reaxys and ReactionFlash are trade marks of Elsevier Limited, used under license.

About

Backside Attack

This educational game helps students grasp fundamental organic chemistry concepts, specifically focusing on the SN2 reaction. It explores key variables like leaving group ability, nucleophilicity, steric factors, and solvent effects to build a strong foundation in chemistry.

Highlights
  • Learn SN2 reaction mechanics
  • Explore leaving group ability
  • Understand nucleophilicity
  • Analyze steric factors
  • Study solvent effects
  • Earn points with Check Yourself +50
  • Unlock Chem Yourself feature
Read full description

Backside Attack is an educational app targeting students learning organic chemistry for the first time. The game focuses on the SN2 reaction, which is often one of the first reactions students learn when studying organic chemistry. The SN2 reaction is great for educational purposes, as it provides a forum for students to learn about many common variables associated with chemical reactions, such as leaving group ability, nucleophilicity, steric factors, and solvent effects. The Backside Attack project is led by Dr. Neil Garg, an organic chemistry Professor at UCLA. He and six UCLA students (now alumni) devoted countless hours to creating the game flow and all content. The heroic students are: Tara Kappel, Preeya Mehta, William Parsons Stefan Prisacaru, Ernst Schmid, and Justin Soffer. Backside Attack is powered by Element26, Inc., thanks to Dr. Daniel D. Caspi. Students, be sure to: Learn even more and earn points by using the Check Yourself +50 feature on the scoring screen! Unlock the Chem Yourself feature by completing each topic!

Screenshots

ReactionFlash4 screens
Backside Attack4 screens

Verdict

The call

ReactionFlash and Backside Attack both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of Backside Attack's written reviews are positive against 81% of ReactionFlash's. Backside Attack also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ReactionFlash against 4.9 for Backside Attack. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 74 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of ReactionFlash's written reviews are positive against 95% of Backside Attack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ReactionFlash ships an update every 4 months, Backside Attack every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and July 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ReactionFlash versus Backside Attack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReactionFlashBackside Attack
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (41 ratings)4.9 (74 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews95.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4174 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB178 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElsevier LimitedElement26, Inc.

Customer experience

ReactionFlash

All ratings41 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive80.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative12.9%

Backside Attack

All ratings74 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%

In-app purchases

None

ReactionFlash

No in-app purchases

None

Backside Attack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ReactionFlash free?
ReactionFlash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Backside Attack free?
Backside Attack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ReactionFlash or Backside Attack?
Backside Attack is rated higher. ReactionFlash averages 4.8 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Backside Attack averages 4.9 from 74 ratings.
Do ReactionFlash or Backside Attack have ads?
Neither ReactionFlash nor Backside Attack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ReactionFlash or Backside Attack?
ReactionFlash ships an update every 4 months, and Backside Attack every 8 months. Most recently, ReactionFlash was updated on September 21, 2026 and Backside Attack on July 4, 2026.

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