NOVA Elements vs DIY Sun Science
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NOVA Elements
Explore the periodic table and understand element properties. Learn how elements combine to form everyday objects through interactive games and educational videos.
- Interactive periodic table
- Learn element properties
- Understand element combinations
- Educational game
- NOVA program access
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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.”
DIY Sun Science
Explore the Sun through hands-on activities and real-time data. This app offers 15 engaging experiments, live solar images from NASA, and educational videos to foster understanding of solar science for families and educators.
- 15 hands-on solar activities
- Step-by-step instructions
- Live Sun images from NASA SDO
- NASA Earth and space observatory images
- NASA solar videos
- Learn about solar activity
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DIY Sun Science is designed to make it easy for families and educators to learn about the Sun anywhere, anytime! The app is developed by UC Berkeley’s The Lawrence Hall of Science, the Children's Creativity Museum, and Sciencenter; funded by NASA. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES DIY Sun Science includes 15 easy-to-use hands-on activities to learn about the Sun and its important relationship with Earth. Learn how to cook in a solar oven, measure the size of the Sun, or explore shadows in model Moon craters! Each activity includes step-by-step instructions that have been tested by educators, kids, and families. Activity materials are easily available and inexpensive—you may already have many of them in your home! SUN OBSERVATORY Want to see the Sun right now in different wavelengths? Use DIY Sun Science to view live images of the Sun from NASA’s SDO satellite in the Sun Observatory. Afterwards, you can learn more about the solar activity you observed and test your new knowledge. IMAGES AND VIDEOS See awe-inspiring images of the Sun from NASA’s Earth and space observatories! Learn about the different features of the Sun and how scientists are studying it. You can even watch NASA videos of the Sun from the past 48 hours. Praise & Reviews: —Featured by Apple in "Best New Apps" and "Education" —Common Sense Media: “DIY Sun Science is a great way to spark interest in astronomy and inspire learning. The activities are fun and engaging, and they tie in nicely with important astronomy concepts.” —Gizmodo: “A must for budding astronomy enthusiasts.”
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Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DIY Sun Science at 92% against NOVA Elements's 62%. DIY Sun Science also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and device support (3 vs 1). NOVA Elements's advantage is ratings volume (254 vs 21) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
DIY Sun Science holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOVA Elements has 254 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of NOVA Elements's written reviews are positive against 92% of DIY Sun Science's.
NOVA Elements ships an update every 5 months, DIY Sun Science every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NOVA Elements | DIY Sun Science |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (254 ratings) | 4.4 (21 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.1% of reviews | 91.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 254 — better | 21 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 513 MB | 134 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PBS | The Lawrence Hall of Science |
Customer experience
NOVA Elements
DIY Sun Science
In-app purchases
NOVA Elements
No in-app purchases
DIY Sun Science
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NOVA Elements free?
Is DIY Sun Science free?
Which has better reviews, NOVA Elements or DIY Sun Science?
Do NOVA Elements or DIY Sun Science have ads?
Which is updated more often, NOVA Elements or DIY Sun Science?
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