Comparison

NOVA Elements vs StudyBuddy

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

Head to head
About

NOVA Elements

Explore the periodic table and understand element properties. Learn how elements combine to form everyday objects through interactive games and educational videos.

Highlights
  • Interactive periodic table
  • Learn element properties
  • Understand element combinations
  • Educational game
  • NOVA program access
Read full description

Did you ever wonder why the periodic table is shaped the way it is, what gives each element its own unique set of properties, or even how elements combine to make everyday objects such as a cup of coffee? With “NOVA Elements,” explore an interactive periodic table, play a game hosted by David Pogue, or watch the two-hour NOVA program, “Hunting the Elements.”

About

StudyBuddy

This app provides a streamlined and visually appealing way to track your academic performance by connecting to your Schoology account. It offers tools to calculate potential grade changes, visualize grade progression, and manage assignment deadlines, helping you stay organized and focused on studying.

Highlights
  • What-if grade calculator
  • Grade progression graph
  • Assignment calendar
  • Beautiful grade view
  • Privacy-focused data handling
  • Secure Schoology login
Features
Read full description

Your grades, finally, the way you actually want to see them. StudyBuddy connects to your Schoology account and gives you a smarter, cleaner view of your academic life — so you can spend less time digging through portals and more time actually studying. WHAT-IF GRADE CALCULATOR Curious how that upcoming test could affect your grade? Type in a score and watch your grade update in real time. No more mental math, no more guessing. GRADE PROGRESSION GRAPH See how your grade has trended over the entire semester — not just where it stands today. Spot patterns, celebrate improvements, and stay on top of your progress. ASSIGNMENT CALENDAR All your due dates in one place. A clean calendar view so nothing sneaks up on you at the last minute. BEAUTIFUL GRADE VIEW Courses, categories, assignments — organized, color-coded, and actually readable. The way your grades should have always looked. STUDYBUDDY PRO • Take your grades to the next level. Subscribe to unlock a suite of features that keep you informed automatically — no refreshing required. • Grade Change Notifications — Get notified the moment a grade is posted or updated. Be the first to know, every time. • Home Screen Widget — See what's due today without ever opening the app. Your assignments, right where you need them. • Live Grade Sync — Keep the app open, and your grades update themselves. Always fresh, always accurate. PRIVACY FIRST Your raw grades never touch our servers. For free users, StudyBuddy fetches your data directly from Schoology and delivers it straight to your device — nothing stored, nothing shared. Pro subscribers opt into grade change detection, which stores only a fingerprint of your grades, never the grades themselves, to power instant notifications. SECURE LOGIN Sign in with your existing Schoology account. No new passwords, no sign-up forms. Just tap and go. -- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ -- *StudyBuddy is an independent student tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Schoology or PowerSchool.

Screenshots

StudyBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: StudyBuddy at 4.6 against NOVA Elements's 4.1. StudyBuddy also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and device support (3 vs 1). NOVA Elements's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (254 vs 59). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model 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. StudyBuddy sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. NOVA Elements asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StudyBuddy holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 254 and 59 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of NOVA Elements's written reviews are positive against 67% of StudyBuddy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NOVA Elements ships an update every 5 months, StudyBuddy every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
NOVA Elements versus StudyBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOVA ElementsStudyBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (254 ratings)4.6 (59 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings254 — better59
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size513 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPBSVaultIQ Inc.

Customer experience

NOVA Elements

All ratings254 ratings
Positive74.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative17.7%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive62.1%
Neutral17.2%
Negative20.7%

StudyBuddy

All ratings59 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

NOVA Elements

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

StudyBuddy

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is NOVA Elements free?
NOVA Elements is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is StudyBuddy free?
StudyBuddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NOVA Elements or StudyBuddy?
StudyBuddy is rated higher. NOVA Elements averages 4.1 out of 5 from 254 ratings, while StudyBuddy averages 4.6 from 59 ratings.
Do NOVA Elements or StudyBuddy have ads?
Neither NOVA Elements nor StudyBuddy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NOVA Elements or StudyBuddy?
NOVA Elements ships an update every 5 months, and StudyBuddy every 6 weeks. Most recently, NOVA Elements was updated on October 3, 2026 and StudyBuddy on October 6, 2026.

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