Comparison

ReactionFlash vs Unreal Chemist

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

Unreal Chemist

Explore a virtual chemistry lab on your phone. Mix chemicals, observe reactions, and conduct over 750 unique simulations with more than 150 available substances. Adjust variables like temperature and concentration to understand chemical principles.

Highlights
  • Mix chemicals for reactions
  • Burn salts for colorful flames
  • Heat elements for color emission
  • Adjust reactant concentration and quantity
  • Regulate reaction temperature
  • Control time flow (slow/fast forward)
  • Monitor pH changes with indicators
Features
Read full description

Chemistry experiments on your smartphones. You can Mix chemicals to see how they react, Burn salts to colorful flames and Heat elements to see what colors it emits There are 150 plus chemicals available to experiment with and more than 750 unique experiment simulations. Key Highlights - Adjusting the concentration and quantity of the reactants. - Regulate the temperature of the reaction. - Modify temperatures in precipitation reactions and see the effect of temperatures on solubility. - Slow down / Fast forward time. - Check the PH and PH change in a reaction, using Indicators. - Ignite flammable gases formed during reaction. Disclaimer Some reactions you will be doing in Unreal Chemist are extremely dangerous and may cause serious injury if conducted in real word. Even though most of the reactions are accurate to the real world, some reactions may be theoretical since physical verification of some reactions are not completed as of now.

Screenshots

ReactionFlash4 screens
Unreal Chemist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ReactionFlash at none against Unreal Chemist's 1. ReactionFlash also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Unreal Chemist's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support 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. Unreal Chemist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ReactionFlash asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ReactionFlash holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 67 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of ReactionFlash's written reviews are positive against 73% of Unreal Chemist's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ReactionFlash ships an update every 4 months, Unreal Chemist every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ReactionFlash versus Unreal Chemist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReactionFlashUnreal Chemist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (41 ratings) — better4.5 (67 ratings)
Positive reviews80.6% of reviews — better73.4% of reviews
Number of ratings4167 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB342 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElsevier LimitedZipoApps

Customer experience

ReactionFlash

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

Unreal Chemist

All ratings67 ratings
Positive91.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive73.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative21.9%

Bugs and requests

ReactionFlash

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Unreal Chemist

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Sulfuric acid not dissolving with salts
  • Heating solution during titration
  • Watch ad for premium session not working
  • Mixing game not always working intuitively
  • Buttons on iPhone blocked by camera
Show 12 more
  • Some metal flame colors don't match description
  • Program sometimes locks up
  • Music setting resets after closing program
  • Some reactions don't show the full formula
  • App crashes on opening
  • App gets stuck on the home page
  • App kicks the user out
  • App opens to a blank grey or white screen
  • App won't open
  • App crashes when it takes too long to open
  • Free version has only 2 reactions
  • Interface is buggy (e.g., clicking play sends to home page)

Requested features

32 requests
  • Add more elements (e.g., Mn, H, O, Cl, F, Pb)
  • Add more acids (e.g., Chloroauric acid, Vanadic acid, Perrhenic acid)
  • Add more bases and solvents (e.g., styrofoam, polystyrene, ethanol, acetone)
  • Add gases (e.g., Chlorine, Fluorine, Hydrogen, Oxygen)
  • Option to specify amounts of chemicals to add
Show 27 more
  • Kid version with simplified instructions
  • Add crafting or new science game modes
  • Add more glassware and scientific equipment
  • Reintroduce feature to see compound information
  • Add challenges or daily missions
  • Add ability to use previously made chemicals for new reactions
  • Add definitions for elements and reactions
  • Add a story or background context
  • Add more reactions and compounds
  • Add liquid elements (e.g., liquid oxygen, hydrogen)
  • Add more bases
  • Add more solvents
  • Add styrofoam/polystyrene
  • Add more elements
  • Add more acids
  • Add more bases
  • Add more solvents
  • Add more glassware
  • Add more scientific equipment
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds
  • Add more elements
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds
  • Add more elements
  • Add more reactions
  • Add more compounds

In-app purchases

None

ReactionFlash

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Unreal Chemist

One-time1
  • Premium Version$5.99

Questions

Is ReactionFlash free?
ReactionFlash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Unreal Chemist free?
Unreal Chemist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ReactionFlash or Unreal Chemist?
ReactionFlash is rated higher. ReactionFlash averages 4.8 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Unreal Chemist averages 4.5 from 67 ratings.
Do ReactionFlash or Unreal Chemist have ads?
Unreal Chemist shows ads; ReactionFlash does not.
Which is updated more often, ReactionFlash or Unreal Chemist?
ReactionFlash ships an update every 4 months, and Unreal Chemist every 2 weeks. Most recently, ReactionFlash was updated on October 16, 2026 and Unreal Chemist on October 16, 2026.

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