# Scientific American vs Stringer News

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 (#111 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scientific American | Stringer News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scientific-american/id514734550/reviews) | **[4.9 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stringer-news/id6738165813/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#111** | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Springer Nature America, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/349659425) | [Stringer News](https://appshunter.io/developer/1779668285) |

## What reviewers say

### Scientific American

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scientific-american/id514734550)

**Currently charting:** #111 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| Scientific American - 1 year Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Scientific American October 2012 issue | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scientific American February 2013 issue | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scientific American August 2013 issue | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scientific American September 2013 issue | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scientific American January 2014 issue | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scientific American issue for November 2014 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Scientific American issue for September 2015 | $5.99 | one-time |
| SciAm Oct 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm March 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm May 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm January 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm April 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm Jul/Aug 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm June 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm Sept 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm Nov 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |
| SciAm Dec 2023 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great reading experience
- 👍 Intuitive navigation
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Broad range of topics
- 👍 Reliable content

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues and login problems
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and crashes
- 🐛 Buggy downloads and lost content
- 🐛 Lack of offline reading options
- 🐛 Outdated and poor app design

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Stringer News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stringer-news/id6738165813)

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.

**Highlights:** Eyewitness accounts, Firsthand event insights, Aggregated major headlines, Comprehensive news coverage, Real-time unfolding events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scientific American free?

Scientific American is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Stringer News free?

Stringer News is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Scientific American or Stringer News?

Stringer News is rated higher. Scientific American averages 4.8 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Stringer News averages 4.9 from 27 ratings.

### Do Scientific American or Stringer News have ads?

Neither Scientific American nor Stringer News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scientific American or Stringer News?

Scientific American ships an update every 5 months, and Stringer News every 6 days. Most recently, Scientific American was updated on October 25, 2026 and Stringer News on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*