# iSPEX vs Cambridge Spiral

The clearest difference is rating: iSPEX at 2.0 against Cambridge Spiral's 1.0. iSPEX also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Cambridge Spiral's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 1) and review sentiment (11% vs 0%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

iSPEX holds the better App Store score, 2.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cambridge Spiral has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of iSPEX's written reviews are positive against 11% of Cambridge Spiral's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iSPEX ships an update every 2 months, Cambridge Spiral every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iSPEX | Cambridge Spiral |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ispex/id584360175/reviews)** | [1.0 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-spiral/id1526644662/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **13** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **10.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 5 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DDQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/418328467) | [Cambridge University Press & Assessment (App)](https://appshunter.io/developer/345571525) |

## What reviewers say

### iSPEX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ispex/id584360175)

This educational tool analyzes light entering a smartphone, breaking it down by spectrum and polarization. It requires a specific hardware add-on to function.

**Highlights:** Spectrum analysis, Polarization analysis, Hardware add-on integration, Educational tool

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cambridge Spiral

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-spiral/id1526644662)

Access Cambridge University Press textbooks on your iOS device. Download content for offline reading, add bookmarks, and make personal annotations. Quickly find topics with full-text search capabilities.

**Highlights:** Download textbooks for offline access, Online and offline reading, Add bookmarks, Personal annotations, Full-text search

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iSPEX free?

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

### Is Cambridge Spiral free?

Cambridge Spiral is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iSPEX or Cambridge Spiral?

iSPEX is rated higher. iSPEX averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Cambridge Spiral averages 1.0 from 13 ratings.

### Do iSPEX or Cambridge Spiral have ads?

Neither iSPEX nor Cambridge Spiral shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iSPEX or Cambridge Spiral?

iSPEX ships an update every 2 months, and Cambridge Spiral every 6 months. Most recently, iSPEX was updated on October 13, 2026 and Cambridge Spiral on October 27, 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.*