Comparison

Scientific American vs Mechanical Engineering Mag

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Mechanical Engineering Mag

Access award-winning monthly engineering content in a digital format. Read current and past issues, with text-formatted articles optimized for mobile. Download content for offline access and search the archive.

Highlights
  • Current and past issues
  • Brilliant replica format
  • Text-formatted articles
  • Offline reading
  • Searchable archive
  • Bookmark articles
Features
Read full description

Mechanical Engineering magazine is the award-winning monthly flagship publication of ASME. Published since 1880, the magazine, and this app, deliver an interdisciplinary view of engineering trends and breakthroughs, giving readers a roadmap to understand today's technology and tomorrow's innovations. MAGAZINE FEATURES: – Current and past issues of Mechanical Engineering magazine. – Brilliant replica format, just like the print edition. – Text-formatted articles designed for maximum mobile readability. – Download each issue and return any time for offline reading. – Search the archive of available issues. – Bookmark your favorite articles. – Share your comments with other readers. Mechanical Engineering magazine is published by ASME, founded as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1880. ASME promotes the art, science and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe. This app includes issues dating back to January 2012. New issues will be available for download monthly. ____________________ This application is powered by GTxcel, a leader in digital publishing technology, provider of hundreds of online digital publications and mobile magazine apps.

Screenshots

Scientific American4 screens
Mechanical Engineering Mag4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Scientific American at 4.8 against Mechanical Engineering Mag's 3.5. Scientific American also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 6) and chart position (#103 vs unranked). Mechanical Engineering Mag's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20) and review sentiment (71% vs 49%). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Scientific American sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Mechanical Engineering Mag asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scientific American holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scientific American has 10K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Scientific American's written reviews are positive against 71% of Mechanical Engineering Mag's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scientific American ships an update every 5 months, Mechanical Engineering Mag every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Scientific American versus Mechanical Engineering Mag: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScientific AmericanMechanical Engineering Mag
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (10K ratings) — better3.5 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews48.5% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10K — better6
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#103 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB22 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSpringer Nature America, Inc.ASME

Customer experience

Scientific American

All ratings10,109 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews338 reviews
Positive48.5%
Neutral8.3%
Negative43.2%

Mechanical Engineering Mag

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

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
Show 1 more
  • More interactive and multimedia content

Mechanical Engineering Mag

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

20 purchases

Scientific American

Subscriptions3
  • 1 Month Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Scientific American - 1 year Subscription$34.991 Year
  • 1 Year Subscription$49.991 Year
One-time17
  • Scientific American October 2012 issue$5.99
  • Scientific American February 2013 issue$5.99
  • Scientific American August 2013 issue$5.99
Show 14 more
  • 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
None

Mechanical Engineering Mag

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scientific American free?
Scientific American is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mechanical Engineering Mag free?
Mechanical Engineering Mag is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Scientific American or Mechanical Engineering Mag?
Scientific American is rated higher. Scientific American averages 4.8 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Mechanical Engineering Mag averages 3.5 from 6 ratings.
Do Scientific American or Mechanical Engineering Mag have ads?
Neither Scientific American nor Mechanical Engineering Mag shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scientific American or Mechanical Engineering Mag?
Scientific American ships an update every 5 months, and Mechanical Engineering Mag every 7 months. Most recently, Scientific American was updated on October 27, 2026 and Mechanical Engineering Mag on October 8, 2026.

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