# IEEE.tv vs Academia.edu

The clearest difference is rating: Academia.edu at 4.8 against IEEE.tv's 2.7. Academia.edu also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (17K vs 7). IEEE.tv's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (9.1 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Academia.edu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. IEEE.tv asks for nothing beyond the download.

Academia.edu holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Academia.edu has 17K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of IEEE.tv's written reviews are positive against 74% of Academia.edu's.

IEEE.tv ships an update every 17 months, Academia.edu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IEEE.tv | Academia.edu |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ieeetv/id466950049/reviews) | **[4.8 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/academiaedu/id1385234213/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **17K** |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | **73.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 20 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.1** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/410304757) | [Academia.edu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1385234212) |

## What reviewers say

### IEEE.tv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ieeetv/id466950049)

Access a curated collection of special-interest video programming focused on technology and engineering. Explore topics like the Internet of Things, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology with new titles added weekly.

**Highlights:** Technology and engineering programming, Internet of Things videos, Biomedical engineering content, Wearables technology, Nanotechnology topics, Weekly new title additions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Academia.edu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/academiaedu/id1385234213)

Access a vast library of open-access research papers on your mobile device. Discover new studies, track mentions and readership of your work, and connect with fellow scholars. Explore millions of academic papers on diverse topics.

**Highlights:** Discover and read research, Save research papers, Track mentions and readership, Search scholarly topics, Connect with scholars, View colleague activity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Academia Premium - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Academia Premium - Annual | $98.99 | per year |
| Academia Premium - Annual | $98.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for research and learning
- 📚 Comprehensive academic resources
- 🔍 Useful for finding relevant papers
- 🌐 Connects researchers globally
- 💡 Innovative academic platform

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Sudden price increase for Premium
- 🔍 Unintuitive search and navigation
- 🔒 Sign-in issues and frequent log-outs
- 📤 Unwanted notifications and emails
- 🔍 Difficult to access full papers without subscription

**Reported bugs**

- PDF files not loading properly
- Crashing and freezing issues
- Inconsistent behavior across platforms

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support
- Improved search and filtering options
- Ability to bookmark and organize papers
- Better integration with other research tools
- More transparent pricing and subscription options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IEEE.tv free?

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

### Is Academia.edu free?

Academia.edu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, IEEE.tv or Academia.edu?

Academia.edu is rated higher. IEEE.tv averages 2.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Academia.edu averages 4.8 from 17K ratings.

### Do IEEE.tv or Academia.edu have ads?

Neither IEEE.tv nor Academia.edu shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IEEE.tv or Academia.edu?

IEEE.tv ships an update every 17 months, and Academia.edu every 2 weeks. Most recently, IEEE.tv was updated on September 29, 2026 and Academia.edu on October 22, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*