Scientific American vs LaborShield
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scientific American
Access expert insights on groundbreaking science and technology advances. Stay informed with news, commentary, and in-depth features from leading scientists. Explore the modern world through a trusted lens.
- Expert science and technology insights
- News and commentary on current events
- In-depth features by Nobel laureates
- Coverage of important scientific advances
- Essential guide to the modern world
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Founded in 1845, Scientific American provides expert insights on the most important and awe-inspiring advances in science and technology. With news and commentary about current events and in-depth features by experts, including more than 200 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, Scientific American is the essential guide to the modern world. Support Science Journalism. Become a Subscriber. A subscription to Scientific American is available through iTunes for $49.99 annually and is renewed automatically at the end of the subscription term, until canceled. Individual issues are $9.99 each. Payment for all purchases will be charged to your iTunes account. For more information, please visit iTunes Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/volume/us/terms.html Founded in 1845, Scientific American provides expert insights on the most important and awe-inspiring advances in science and technology. With news and commentary about current events and in-depth features by experts, including more than 200 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, Scientific American is the essential guide to the modern world. Support Science Journalism. Become a Subscriber. Scientific American Customer Service: Email: help@sciam.com
LaborShield
This app provides U.S. businesses with insights into labor risks in over 145 countries. It helps identify foreign goods made with unfair trade practices, strengthen supply chains, and prevent the import of items produced with forced labor.
- Identify goods made with labor abuses
- Strengthen supply chain resilience
- Prevent procurement of goods with forced labor
- Review country labor laws and enforcement
- Mitigate reputational damage
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LaborShield is a comprehensive resource developed by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to power American job creation by exposing foreign goods made with unfair trade practices. This app puts ILAB’s research right at the fingertips of American enterprise, showing labor risks in more than 145 countries and helping U.S. businesses pinpoint exactly where problems might occur. With country and sector-specific insights, LaborShield empowers companies to self-assess their supply chains, spot red flags early, and take action before foreign labor abuses harm their reputation or America’s workers. Key things you can do with this app are: 1. Identify foreign goods made with labor abuses; 2. Strengthen supply chain resilience; 3. Prevent the procurement and importation of goods made with forced labor; 4. Review whether countries have strong laws and enforcement efforts; 5. See what businesses can do to mitigate reputational damage.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Scientific American at 4.8 against LaborShield's 4.3. Scientific American also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 27) and chart position (#112 vs unranked). LaborShield's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Scientific American sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. LaborShield asks for nothing beyond the download.
Scientific American holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scientific American has 10K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Scientific American's written reviews are positive against 40% of LaborShield's.
Scientific American ships an update every 5 months, LaborShield every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Scientific American | LaborShield |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (10K ratings) — better | 4.3 (27 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 10K — better | 27 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #112 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Springer Nature America, Inc. | U.S. Department of Labor |
Customer experience
Scientific American
LaborShield
Bugs and requests
Scientific American
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent login issues and lost subscriptions
- Unreliable downloads and disappearing content
- Crashes and performance problems, especially on newer iOS
- Outdated app design and lack of modern features
Requested features
6 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved bookmarking and article saving
- Better search and organization tools
- Ability to adjust font size and display settings
- Seamless sync across devices
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- More interactive and multimedia content
LaborShield
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Scientific American
- 1 Month Subscription$5.991 Month
- Scientific American - 1 year Subscription$34.991 Year
- 1 Year Subscription$49.991 Year
- Scientific American October 2012 issue$5.99
- Scientific American February 2013 issue$5.99
- Scientific American August 2013 issue$5.99
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- Scientific American September 2013 issue$5.99
- Scientific American January 2014 issue$5.99
- Scientific American issue for November 2014$5.99
- Scientific American issue for September 2015$5.99
- SciAm Oct 2023$9.99
- SciAm March 2023$9.99
- SciAm May 2023$9.99
- SciAm January 2023$9.99
- SciAm April 2023$9.99
- SciAm Jul/Aug 2023$9.99
- SciAm June 2023$9.99
- SciAm Sept 2023$9.99
- SciAm Nov 2023$9.99
- SciAm Dec 2023$9.99
LaborShield
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Scientific American free?
Is LaborShield free?
Which has better reviews, Scientific American or LaborShield?
Do Scientific American or LaborShield have ads?
Which is updated more often, Scientific American or LaborShield?
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