# Top Hat vs phyphox

Top Hat and phyphox both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of phyphox's written reviews are positive against 15% of Top Hat's. phyphox also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Top Hat's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (23K vs 276). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Top Hat against 4.6 for phyphox. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Top Hat has 23K ratings behind it against 276, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 15% of Top Hat's written reviews are positive against 79% of phyphox's.

Top Hat ships an update fortnightly, phyphox every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Top Hat | phyphox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (23K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291/reviews) | [4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **23K** | 276 |
| Positive reviews | 14.6% of reviews | **78.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#205** | — |
| Size | 162 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Top Hat Monocle](https://appshunter.io/developer/411098284) | [RWTH Aachen University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371466796) |

## What reviewers say

### Top Hat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/top-hat-better-learning/id674069291)

**Currently charting:** #205 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Enhance your learning experience with interactive resources, in-class participation tools, and dynamic digital textbooks. Engage with professors and peers, and test your knowledge with quizzes and polls to improve comprehension and retention.

**Highlights:** Follow lecture slides on your device, In-class response system, In-app discussions with peers and professors, Dynamic, interactive digital textbooks, Take polls and quizzes, Access graded and non-graded homework

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive interface
- 👍 Useful for attendance and in-class quizzes
- 💡 Potential for interactive learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with location tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Answers not registering correctly
- Slides not loading properly on mobile devices
- Inconsistent performance across platforms

**Requested features**

- Add page numbers and search functionality to ebooks
- Improve syncing between mobile and web versions
- Allow more flexible location settings for attendance


### phyphox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phyphox/id1127319693)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on older devices
- Barometer not working on iOS 17.4
- Network error: Generic error
- Sound measurement curve disappears
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Top Hat free?

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

### Is phyphox free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Top Hat or phyphox?

Top Hat and phyphox are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 23K and 276 ratings respectively.

### Do Top Hat or phyphox have ads?

Neither Top Hat nor phyphox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Top Hat or phyphox?

Top Hat ships an update fortnightly, and phyphox every 3 months. Most recently, Top Hat was updated on October 12, 2026 and phyphox on October 12, 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.*