# How It Works vs Science Simulations

How It Works and Science Simulations both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Science Simulations's written reviews are positive against 32% of How It Works's. Science Simulations also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). How It Works's advantage is ratings volume (158 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. How It Works sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Science Simulations asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for How It Works against 4.8 for Science Simulations. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: How It Works has 158 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of How It Works's written reviews are positive against 100% of Science Simulations's.

How It Works ships an update every 6 months, Science Simulations every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | How It Works | Science Simulations |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (158 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/how-it-works-digital-edition/id471270590/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/science-simulations/id6744251352/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **158** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 31.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 164 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Future plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/378460265) | [Wikimedia CH](https://appshunter.io/developer/997079562) |

## What reviewers say

### How It Works

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/how-it-works-digital-edition/id471270590)

Explore science, technology, history, space, transport, and the environment through engaging articles, stunning visuals, and reader Q&A. Discover fascinating topics and try fun experiments at home.

**Highlights:** Global Eye: Latest science and tech news, Amazing images and cutaways, Fascinating feature articles, Reader Q&A for 'how and why' questions, How To guides for home experiments

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| 6 Month Subscription | $19.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| How It Works: Issue 26 | $5.99 | one-time |
| How It Works: Issue 29 | $5.99 | one-time |
| How It Works: Issue 22 | $5.99 | one-time |
| How It Works: Issue 03 | $5.99 | one-time |
| How It Works: How it Works Book of Amazing Tech | $5.99 | one-time |
| How It Works: Amazing Answers to Curious Questions | $5.99 | one-time |
| How It Works: Issue 10 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Interesting and informative content
- 🚀 Visually stunning and creative
- 💡 Great for curious minds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 👎 Poor navigation and user experience
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 📱 Not optimized for smaller screens

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Purchased issues not accessible after updates
- Restore purchases and subscriptions not working

**Requested features**

- Add a free sample or preview option
- Improve navigation and zooming features
- Optimize layout and text readability for mobile devices


### Science Simulations

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/science-simulations/id6744251352)

Explore over 150 interactive chemistry and physics simulations to understand complex science concepts. This app offers an intuitive, game-like environment for learning at home or in the classroom, with offline access to educational resources.

**Highlights:** 150+ interactive simulations, Chemistry and physics concepts, Classroom and home use, Offline access, Game-like learning environment, Creative Commons licensed content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is How It Works free?

How It Works is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Science Simulations free?

Science Simulations is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, How It Works or Science Simulations?

Science Simulations is rated higher. How It Works averages 4.7 out of 5 from 158 ratings, while Science Simulations averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do How It Works or Science Simulations have ads?

Neither How It Works nor Science Simulations shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, How It Works or Science Simulations?

How It Works ships an update every 6 months, and Science Simulations every 2 months. Most recently, How It Works was updated on November 10, 2026 and Science Simulations on October 30, 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.*