Scientific American vs Stringer News
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
Stringer News
Experience news directly from individuals on the ground, offering firsthand perspectives on unfolding events. This app combines personal narratives with aggregated headlines from major news outlets for comprehensive coverage. Witness events from every angle as they happen.
- Eyewitness accounts
- Firsthand event insights
- Aggregated major headlines
- Comprehensive news coverage
- Real-time unfolding events
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Stringer brings you news straight from the source—individuals on the ground, giving you firsthand insights into events as they unfold. Alongside these personal narratives, we aggregate headlines from major news outlets to provide comprehensive coverage. With Stringer, you're not just reading the news; you're witnessing it as it unfolds, from every angle.
Screenshots
Verdict
Scientific American and Stringer News both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Stringer News's written reviews are positive against 49% of Scientific American's. Stringer News also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 months). Scientific American's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 27) and chart position (#113 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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. Stringer News asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Scientific American against 4.9 for Stringer News. 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 are what separate them: 49% of Scientific American's written reviews are positive against 100% of Stringer News's.
Scientific American ships an update every 5 months, Stringer News every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Scientific American | Stringer News |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (10K ratings) | 4.9 (27 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10K — better | 27 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #113 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Springer Nature America, Inc. | Stringer News |
Customer experience
Scientific American
Stringer News
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
Stringer News
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
Stringer News
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Scientific American free?
Is Stringer News free?
Which has better reviews, Scientific American or Stringer News?
Do Scientific American or Stringer News have ads?
Which is updated more often, Scientific American or Stringer News?
Other comparisons
