Comparison

WolframAlpha vs phyphox

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

Head to head
About

WolframAlpha

This app serves as a powerful computational knowledge engine for homework and research. It offers comprehensive support across numerous academic subjects, from math and physics to biology and economics. Unlock advanced features like step-by-step solutions and photo input for a more in-depth learning experience.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step solutions with hints
  • Photo input for math problems
  • Input Assistants for various subjects
  • Thousands of covered domains
  • Homework and exam preparation
Features
Read full description

Get the WolframAlpha app, the ultimate tool for homework and research. Whether you're in high school or college, Wolfram|Alpha is the tool you need to stay ahead of the curve. You can prepare for exams; get help with homework; and learn, explore and test your skills. Famous for math and physics, Wolfram|Alpha is also a whiz at chemistry, biology, engineering, economics, astronomy, statistics and much more. Featuring: • Step-by-step solutions: With hints, intermediate steps and methods of solving • Photo input: You can now use your camera to input math problems • Input Assistants: Our most popular course, reference and professional assistants • Thousands of domains: The most extensive topic coverage available—with more continually added—to get you to answers faster Subscription Details: Become a Wolfram|Alpha Pro member to unlock step-by-step solutions, photo input, Input Assistants and more. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscription fees are $9.99 per month or up to $59.99 per year depending on your plan. You can manage your Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscription by visiting the iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a Wolfram|Alpha Pro subscription. Privacy policy: https://www.wolfram.com/legal/privacy/wolfram Terms of use: https://www.wolframalpha.com/termsofuse

About

phyphox

Unlock your phone's sensors for scientific exploration. Conduct pre-built experiments or create your own using accelerometers, magnetometers, and more. Analyze and export data in various formats for further study.

Highlights
  • Pre-defined experiments
  • Data export (CSV, TSV, Excel)
  • Web-based remote control
  • Custom experiment editor
  • Access to phone sensors
  • Advanced analysis functions
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Did you know that you are carrying a 3D magnetometer? That you can use your phone as a pendulum to measure earth's local gravitational acceleration? That you can turn your phone into a sonar? phyphox gives you access to the sensors of your phone either directly or through ready-to-play experiments which analyze your data and let you export raw data along with the results for further analysis. You can even define your own experiments on phyphox.org and share them with colleagues, students and friends. Selected Features: • A selection of pre-defined experiments. Just press play to start. • Export your data to a range of widely used formats • Remote-control your experiment through a web interface from any PC on the same network as your phone. No need to install anything on those PCs - all you need is a modern web browser. • Define your own experiments by selecting sensor inputs, defining analysis steps and creating views as an interface using our web-editor (http://phyphox.org/editor). The analysis consists of just adding two values or using advanced methods like Fourier transforms and crosscorrelation. We offer a whole toolbox of analysis functions. Sensors supported: • Accelerometer • Magnetometer • Gyroscope • Pressure • Microphone • Proximity • GPS • Camera • LiDAR/ToF *some sensors are not present on every phone. Export formats • CSV (Comma separated values) • TSV (Tab-separated values) • Excel (if you need other formats, please let us know) This app has been developed at the 2nd Institute of Physics A at the RWTH Aachen University.

Screenshots

WolframAlpha4 screens
phyphox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: phyphox at 79% against WolframAlpha's 35%. phyphox also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. WolframAlpha sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. phyphox asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

phyphox holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 129 and 276 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of WolframAlpha's written reviews are positive against 79% of phyphox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WolframAlpha ships an update every 2 months, phyphox every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
WolframAlpha versus phyphox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWolframAlphaphyphox
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (129 ratings)4.6 (276 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.2% of reviews78.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings129276 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#204 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size366 MB19 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperWolfram Group LLCRWTH Aachen University

Customer experience

WolframAlpha

All ratings129 ratings
Positive41.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative51.9%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive35.2%
Neutral9.4%
Negative55.4%

phyphox

All ratings276 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews267 reviews
Positive78.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative18.0%

User reviews

WolframAlpha

From 129 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful search engine
  • 📚 Comprehensive information
  • 🔍 Helpful for math and other subjects
  • ⭐ Essential app for students and professionals

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 📵 Limited functionality in free version
  • 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive to use

phyphox

From 276 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Access to phone sensors
  • 🔬 Useful for physics experiments
  • 📊 Data logging and export
  • 🆓 Free and no ads
  • 🤔 Sparks curiosity

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 📉 Inconsistent performance
  • 🔒 App locks/minimizes recording
  • ❓ Units not always clear
  • ⚠️ Potential for device damage

Bugs and requests

WolframAlpha

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • Search bar issues and crashes
  • Incorrect or incomplete results

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved handwritten math recognition
  • Better integration with Siri
  • More customization options

phyphox

Reported bugs

21 issues
  • App crashes on older devices
  • Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
  • Network error: Generic error
  • Sound measurement curve disappears
  • App crashes frequently
Show 16 more
  • Cannot be opened on iPhone 6
  • Light sensor not implemented
  • Recording stops when phone is locked or app is minimized
  • Green lines on screen and faded to black after using barometer sensor
  • WLAN not working after using the app
  • Pressure no longer displayed on iOS 17.5
  • Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
  • Latest version cannot be opened on iPhone 6
  • Sound chronometer reset button not working
  • iPad destroyed after update
  • App displays Russian language by default
  • Experiments not working on iPhone 7
  • Magnetometer not working after update on iPhone 5s
  • GPS shows 0 satellites with 6m accuracy
  • App claims iPhone 11 is comparable to a low-cost tablet
  • App crashes every time

Requested features

33 requests
  • Add infrasound detector
  • More units of measurement (G-force, PSI, feet)
  • NFC/RFID support
  • In-app bug report feature
  • Allow other sensors via USB-C
Show 28 more
  • Ability to plug in external sensors
  • Slo-mo recording with timestamps
  • Add attitude sensor (roll, pitch, yaw)
  • Integration with Apple Shortcuts
  • Ability to record audio/dB simultaneously with other sensors
  • Adjustable sampling frequency for all sensors
  • Dark mode option
  • Experiment editor integrated into the app
  • More documentation for the editor
  • Ability to form averages
  • Support for older iPhones (iPhone 6)
  • Add GPS satellite count display
  • Add speedometer functionality
  • Add Lux measurement using light sensor/camera
  • Ability to play recorded audio
  • Limit input for sound analyzers (dB/Hz range)
  • Wi-Fi and RF module access for EMF analysis
  • iWatch integration
  • Improve audio generator capability
  • Allow background/screen locked recording
  • Add light sensor functionality
  • Change units of measurement
  • Add more precise measurements for static cases
  • Add FFT and spectral generation for accelerometer
  • Support for older devices
  • Improve UI/UX for new users
  • Add support for more languages
  • Add a donate option

In-app purchases

6 purchases

WolframAlpha

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro for Students Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro for Educators Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pro Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro for Students Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro for Educators Yearly$59.991 Year
None

phyphox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WolframAlpha free?
WolframAlpha is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is phyphox free?
phyphox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WolframAlpha or phyphox?
phyphox is rated higher. WolframAlpha averages 2.8 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while phyphox averages 4.6 from 276 ratings.
Do WolframAlpha or phyphox have ads?
Neither WolframAlpha nor phyphox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WolframAlpha or phyphox?
WolframAlpha ships an update every 2 months, and phyphox every 3 months. Most recently, WolframAlpha was updated on October 4, 2026 and phyphox on October 7, 2026.

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