# New Scientist vs New Philosopher

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Scientist | New Philosopher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403/reviews)** | [2.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-philosopher/id1101636040/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **68.5% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#79** | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [New Scientist Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259836343) | [Zinio Pro](https://appshunter.io/developer/451100089) |

## What reviewers say

### New Scientist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-scientist/id671845403)

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers, #107 Top Grossing · News, #140 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription | $49.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| 12 Month Subscription | $179.99 | per year |
| August 30 2014 | $1.99 | one-time |
| October 04 2014 | $1.99 | one-time |
| July 16 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| September 03 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| October 01 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| November 19 2016 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Essential Guide 10 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fascinating and informative content
- 🚀 Accessible and easy to read
- 🤓 Covers a wide range of scientific topics
- 📚 Valuable source of up-to-date science news

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with login and subscription issues
- 🔒 Difficult to manage subscriptions and access content
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🙄 Forced subscription model and lack of transparency

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-philosopher/id1101636040)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Month | $15.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| Issue 49 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Issue 40 - June/August 2023 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Dec 2021 / Feb 2022 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Sept - Nov 2021 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Issue 44 - June/August 2024 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Issue 43 - March/May 2024 | $14.99 | one-time |
| August 2016 | $15.99 | one-time |
| February 2017 | $15.99 | one-time |
| May 2017 | $15.99 | one-time |
| November 2017 | $15.99 | one-time |
| February - April 2016 | $15.99 | one-time |
| February 2018 | $15.99 | one-time |
| August 2018 | $15.99 | one-time |
| November 2018 | $15.99 | one-time |
| Issue 23 - No.1/2019 | $15.99 | one-time |


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