Comparison

New Scientist vs New Philosopher

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

Head to head
About

New Scientist

Access award-winning journalism on science and technology. Read daily news, watch videos, and listen to podcasts covering topics from AI to quantum physics. Log in with your subscription for full access.

Highlights
  • Daily news updates
  • Latest issue access
  • Science videos
  • Weekly podcast
  • Audio articles
Features
Read full description

Discover award-winning journalism with the New Scientist app. From artificial intelligence to climate change, and the latest innovations in healthcare to the mysteries of quantum physics and the human mind, New Scientist is your trusted, impartial source of information about what is going on in the world. Read daily news updates and our latest issues Watch fascinating videos – from robotics to rare animal behaviour Listen to our weekly podcast and audio articles Download the app for free now. Already a subscriber? Log in with your newscientist.com account to unlock your full access. Need help? Visit newscientist.com/help

About

New Philosopher

Explore philosophical ideas from past and present thinkers to find solutions for fundamental human problems and live a more fulfilling life. This app delves into contemporary societal challenges and offers insights for personal growth.

Highlights
  • Explores philosophical ideas
  • Addresses fundamental human problems
  • Seeks solutions to contemporary issues
  • Offers insights for a fulfilling life
  • Content from past and present thinkers
Features
Read full description

New Philosopher is for curious people seeking solutions to the fundamental problems faced by humankind. New Philosopher is devoted to exploring philosophical ideas from past and present thinkers on ways to live a more fulfilling life, and to seek to find solutions to the most pressing problems faced by humans in contemporary society. Pricing for subscriptions available: ­• Single issue: $7.99 • 1 year subscription = $29.99, automatically renewed until cancelled When purchasing through iTunes your account will be charged at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will auto­-renew unless you turn this off 24 hours before the subscription runs out. You can turn off auto­-renewal at any time from your iTunes account settings. You can manage your subscription through your account settings after purchase on your device. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period Terms of Service : https://www.newphilosopher.com/privacy/ Privacy Policy : https://www.newphilosopher.com/privacy/

Screenshots

New Scientist4 screens
New Philosopher4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: New Scientist at 4.8 against New Philosopher's 2.0. New Scientist also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 33%) and ratings volume (5.5K vs 4). New Philosopher's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. New Scientist sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and New Philosopher sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $15.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

New Scientist holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: New Scientist has 5.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of New Scientist's written reviews are positive against 33% of New Philosopher's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

New Scientist ships an update every 2 months, New Philosopher every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
New Scientist versus New Philosopher: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNew ScientistNew Philosopher
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.5K ratings) — better2.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews68.5% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings5.5K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#77 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB97 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperNew Scientist LtdZinio Pro

Customer experience

New Scientist

All ratings5,476 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews213 reviews
Positive68.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative24.9%

New Philosopher

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative55.6%

Bugs and requests

New Scientist

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App fails to recognize active subscriptions
  • Downloading and accessing content is unreliable
  • Frequent crashes and performance issues
  • Inconsistent user experience across platforms

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve navigation and ability to resume reading
  • Implement better syncing and cross-device access
  • Provide more customization options for text size and font

New Philosopher

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

11 purchases

New Scientist

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Month Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • 3 Month Subscription$49.993 Months
  • 1 Year Subscription$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 12 Month Subscription$179.991 Year
One-time7
  • August 30 2014$1.99
  • October 04 2014$1.99
  • July 16 2016$1.99
Show 4 more
  • September 03 2016$1.99
  • October 01 2016$1.99
  • November 19 2016$1.99
  • Essential Guide 10$9.99
17 purchases

New Philosopher

Subscriptions2
  • 3 Month$15.993 Months
  • 1 Year1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time15
  • Issue 49$14.99
  • Issue 40 - June/August 2023$14.99
  • Dec 2021 / Feb 2022$14.99
Show 12 more
  • Sept - Nov 2021$14.99
  • Issue 44 - June/August 2024$14.99
  • Issue 43 - March/May 2024$14.99
  • August 2016$15.99
  • February 2017$15.99
  • May 2017$15.99
  • November 2017$15.99
  • February - April 2016$15.99
  • February 2018$15.99
  • August 2018$15.99
  • November 2018$15.99
  • Issue 23 - No.1/2019$15.99

Questions

Is New Scientist free?
New Scientist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is New Philosopher free?
New Philosopher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, New Scientist or New Philosopher?
New Scientist is rated higher. New Scientist averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.5K ratings, while New Philosopher averages 2.0 from 4 ratings.
Do New Scientist or New Philosopher have ads?
Neither New Scientist nor New Philosopher shows ads.
Which is updated more often, New Scientist or New Philosopher?
New Scientist ships an update every 2 months, and New Philosopher every 5 months. Most recently, New Scientist was updated on September 24, 2026 and New Philosopher on September 21, 2026.

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