Comparison

Physics Formulas vs Physics Handbook

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

Head to head
About

Physics Formulas

Features
Read full description

PhysRef is the complete physics formula reference designed for students, engineers, and science enthusiasts. Access hundreds of formulas, physical constants, and built-in calculators - all without internet connection. COMPREHENSIVE FORMULA DATABASE Browse formulas organized by topic: Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Waves, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, and Modern Physics. Each formula includes variable definitions, units, and related concepts. BUILT-IN CALCULATORS Stop doing manual calculations. Enter your known values and instantly compute the unknown variable. Every calculator validates inputs and displays results with appropriate units. PHYSICAL CONSTANTS TABLE Quick access to fundamental constants including speed of light, gravitational constant, Planck's constant, electron mass, Boltzmann constant, and dozens more. All values use standard reference data. UNIT CONVERTER Convert between units across 14 categories: length, mass, time, velocity, acceleration, force, energy, power, pressure, temperature, electric charge, electric current, angle, and frequency. PERSONAL NOTES Add your own notes to any formula. Perfect for exam prep, recording problem-solving strategies, or marking formulas you find tricky. FORMULA DERIVATIONS Understand where formulas come from. See step-by-step derivations that connect fundamental principles to the equations you use. WORKS COMPLETELY OFFLINE All content is bundled in the app. Study on airplanes, in basements, or anywhere without signal. No account required. No internet needed. DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS Covers content from AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, IB Physics, and introductory university physics courses. Whether you are preparing for an exam or solving homework problems, PhysRef has you covered. PRIVACY FIRST Your data stays on your device. We do not collect personal information. No tracking. No analytics. No ads. FEATURES SUMMARY - Formula browser organized by physics topic - Search by formula name, variable, or concept - Calculators for solving problems - Physical constants with precise values - Unit converter with 14 categories - Personal notes on any formula - Formula derivations and explanations - Related formulas and connections - Bookmarks for quick access - Search history - Dark and light themes - 100% offline functionality Built for physics students who want a reliable, ad-free reference that works anywhere. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Physics Handbook

Features
Read full description

Physics Handbook is an offline reference for school and first-year university physics: 168 articles in 17 topics, each with its formula, the symbols explained, a worked example and โ€” in almost every case โ€” a calculator. EVERY TOPIC IN ONE PLACE Kinematics, dynamics, statics and hydrostatics, work and energy, momentum and collisions, rotation, oscillations, waves and sound, molecular physics and thermodynamics, electrostatics, direct current, magnetism and induction, electromagnetic oscillations and waves, optics, quantum and atomic physics, nuclear physics, special relativity. READ A FORMULA PROPERLY Each article opens with its main formula and 382 useful rearrangements in total, then a table of symbols with SI units, the conditions under which the formula holds, the physical meaning in three short paragraphs, and the mistakes that cost marks most often โ€” 505 of them collected across the book. SOLVE, NOT JUST LOOK UP 161 articles include a calculator. Pick the value you are looking for, type in what you know in the units shown, and the app solves the formula for that unknown. Angles are entered in degrees. LEARN FROM WORKED EXAMPLES All 168 articles contain a complete worked example: the given values, the reasoning step by step, and the answer with its unit. BUILD YOUR OWN CHEAT SHEET The cheat sheet screen lists formulas without the explanations, filtered by topic or by your starred articles โ€” a fast way to revise before a test. FIND IT FAST Search by the name of a law, a formula, a quantity or a symbol. Filter by topic, by favourites, or show only articles that have a calculator. THE TABLES YOU KEEP NEEDING 51 physical constants with values and units, 38 SI units with 11 prefixes, and a short guide to solving problems. TWENTY LANGUAGES English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian Bokmรฅl, Turkish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Arabic, Hindi, Thai and Russian โ€” including the notation: subscripts are written the way your language writes them. Arabic reads right to left while formulas keep their standard direction. COMFORTABLE TO USE Light and dark themes, phones and tablets, portrait and landscape. Physics Pro AI tutor: step-by-step physics explanations on your device Problem scanner: camera or photo, review the text before asking AI tutoring requires iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence. The scanner and handbook work without AI. All formulas and calculators remain free. Monthly ยท Yearly ยท Lifetime. Subscriptions renew automatically. Cancel in the App Store. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Physics Formulas4 screens
Physics Handbook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Physics Handbook at every 3 days against Physics Formulas's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Physics Formulas sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Physics Handbook sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Physics Formulas ships an update every 2 months, Physics Handbook every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Physics Formulas versus Physics Handbook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhysics FormulasPhysics Handbook
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size38 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMobin AkhterOleg Korunov

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Physics Formulas

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Access$3.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$49.99
3 purchases

Physics Handbook

Subscriptions2
  • Physics Pro โ€” Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Physics Pro โ€” Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Physics Pro โ€” Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Physics Formulas free?
Physics Formulas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Physics Handbook free?
Physics Handbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Physics Formulas or Physics Handbook have ads?
Neither Physics Formulas nor Physics Handbook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Physics Formulas or Physics Handbook?
Physics Formulas ships an update every 2 months, and Physics Handbook every 3 days. Most recently, Physics Formulas was updated on November 3, 2026 and Physics Handbook on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons