Comparison

NOVA Elements vs Elementium

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

Elementium

Access comprehensive information on every element of the periodic table. Explore detailed data, visualize trends, and utilize a built-in solubility calculator. Perfect for students and professionals needing quick, accurate chemical data.

Highlights
  • Detailed element information
  • Interactive periodic table
  • Dynamic filtering and trend visualization
  • Solubility calculator
  • Element image library
  • Bohr model visualizations
  • Home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

The premiere periodic table app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Quickly reference any element and all the information you need. Search for elements by on classification, phase, orbital, mass, or number. Dynamic filters help you understand periodic trends, like electronegativity, at a glance. Dive even deeper to get standard, frequently-used data points such as mass, electronegativity, radius, radioactivity, electron configuration, and more. LEARN Each element prominently features: • Symbol, name, and number • Atomic mass • Electronegativity • Electron configuration • Atomic radius • Melting and boiling points • Year of discovery • State at STP • Radioactivity Elements are also accompanied by discussions on its uses, discovery, and more. You can quickly find more information and publications about each element via links to Wikipedia, Science Direct®, and the American Chemical Society®. EXPLORE The periodic table is laid out in a clear, concise manner that adapts to the size of your screen. No more squinting at blurry images of the periodic table from web searches. Beautiful color-coding helps you quickly distinguish element classifications, phases at STP, electronegativity, and atomic radius. Trends and filtering help students who are learning chemistry to visualize patterns. SOLUBILITY CALCUALTOR A built in solubility calculator* answers all your, "is this soluble in that", questions. Just specify a solvent and a solute to check their compatibility. A solubility lookup table is also available for cross-referencing multiple combinations. VISUALIZATIONS See beautiful depictions of elements from raw to processed, and in other forms. The extensive library of images help you understand what your lab samples should look like, or may be helpful to students learning about chemistry.* SEARCH Search for elements by name, symbol, mass, or number from within Elementium™ or via Spotlight. Results are shown directly on the periodic table. Need faster access to element information? Search directly from Spotlight on the lock screen or home screen of your device. BOHR MODELS Animated Bohr models for each element help visualize how electrons are oriented around the nucleus.* WRITE & REPORT Academics and students writing reports and using data frequently in the classroom or the lab can simply tap on an aspect of an element to export its information.* HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Add the Periodic Table widget to your home screen for quick and easy reference to the Periodic Table. Or, try out the "random element" widget which is useful for students. ADDITIONAL NICE THINGS • Custom app icons • Set temperature and atomic radius to your preferred units • Search Spotlight for elements • Thoughtfully developed with accessibility in mind • A subscription is totally optional • No account required • Privacy focused (no tracking, no data collection) ------- ION Subscription Notice Subscription prices vary by duration and may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. Manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://spencer-software.com/elementium/privacy Terms of Service: https://spencer-software.com/elementium/tos ------- *Requires in-app purchase. Elementium™ is a trademark of Samuel Spencer.

Screenshots

Elementium4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Elementium at 4.6 against NOVA Elements's 4.1. Elementium also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (75% vs 62%). NOVA Elements's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.1). On price, ratings volume and ads 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. Elementium sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. NOVA Elements asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Elementium holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 254 and 576 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of NOVA Elements's written reviews are positive against 75% of Elementium's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NOVA Elements ships an update every 5 months, Elementium every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
NOVA Elements versus Elementium: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOVA ElementsElementium
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (254 ratings)4.6 (576 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings254576 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size513 MB752 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPBSSamuel Spencer

Customer experience

NOVA Elements

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

Elementium

All ratings576 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative18.8%

Bugs and requests

NOVA Elements

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Elementium

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes on startup and when tapping elements
  • Crashes on older iOS devices and iPod Touch
  • Molar mass not visible in iPhone landscape orientation
  • Intrusive purchase prompt that's difficult to dismiss
  • Rating request spam appearing too early in user experience

Requested features

5 requests
  • Element images and visual representations
  • One-time purchase option instead of subscription
  • Zoom out to view entire periodic table at once
  • Better display of molar mass on iPhone in landscape mode
  • More detailed information and content

In-app purchases

None

NOVA Elements

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Elementium

Subscriptions4
  • ION, 1 month1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • ION, 3 Months3 Days trial$3.993 Months
  • ION, 6 months$5.996 Months
Show 1 more
  • ION, 1 year$9.991 Year
One-time5
  • Export Data$0.99
  • Bohr Models$1.99
  • Advanced Sorting$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Visual Elements$3.99
  • Advanced Tools$4.99

Questions

Is NOVA Elements free?
NOVA Elements is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Elementium free?
Elementium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NOVA Elements or Elementium?
Elementium is rated higher. NOVA Elements averages 4.1 out of 5 from 254 ratings, while Elementium averages 4.6 from 576 ratings.
Do NOVA Elements or Elementium have ads?
Neither NOVA Elements nor Elementium shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NOVA Elements or Elementium?
NOVA Elements ships an update every 5 months, and Elementium every 3 weeks. Most recently, NOVA Elements was updated on October 3, 2026 and Elementium on October 8, 2026.

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