Comparison

The Elements in Action vs Universe in a Nutshell

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

Head to head
About

The Elements in Action

Explore the fascinating properties of chemical elements through captivating videos. Witness unique demonstrations of their behaviors, from the mundane to the explosive, all presented in an engaging and visually stunning format. This app brings the periodic table to life with scientific curiosity and artistic flair.

Highlights
  • 79 video explorations of element properties
  • Demonstrations of element reactions
  • High-quality filming by Max Whitby
  • Seamless integration with 'The Elements' app
  • Multiple language translations
Features
Read full description

‘One of my favorite science-based apps...The Elements in Action is easy to navigate and attractively designed.’ – The New York Times The periodic table comes to life with 79 video explorations of the weird, wonderful, and sometimes alarming properties of the elements. Filmed by BAFTA award winner Max Whitby in partnership with Theodore Gray, author of the iconic book and app The Elements, and previously available only in a few museum installations, this is the most beautifully filmed collection of videos ever assembled to explore and explain what makes each element unique and fascinating. What happens when highly reactive rubidium is dropped into water? Or when a cannonball is placed in a pool of mercury? The Elements in Action shows you one definitive demonstration for (almost) every element, ranging from the bizarre to the sublime, all assembled in one place for you to view in the comfort and safety of your iPad, with very little danger of death by fire, dismemberment, or poisoning. The Elements in Action works as a stand-alone app, but really shines when combined with the original app, The Elements by Theodore Gray. Installed together, the two apps find each other and link together, allowing you to flip seamlessly between viewing the elements as objects of contemplation in the original, and objects of dynamic action in the second. Now fully translated into: English, Catalan, Croatian, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

About

Universe in a Nutshell

Explore the vastness of the universe, from subatomic particles to distant galaxies, through an interactive, swipe-based journey. Understand true scale by comparing objects and discover fascinating facts about over 250 animated illustrations. Immerse yourself in the cosmos with original music.

Highlights
  • Interactive scale exploration
  • Seamless zooming from 10^-35m to 10^26m
  • Fun facts about objects
  • Explanations for each object
  • Over 250 animated illustrations
  • Original music soundtrack
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The range of size in the universe, from the tiniest particles to the epic galaxies - we take you on a journey of size that lets you explore it all with a single swipe. How big is a planet, compared to a human? And how small is an atom really? You can’t fully wrap your head around the scope of things by just reading about them – so this app lets you experience them in comparison to get a feeling for their true scale. By simply swiping you can zoom in and out all the way from the world of fundamental particles up to the largest stars at the edge of the observable universe. Seamless zooming between the scales of 10^-35 meters to 10^26 meters (no math required) Amazing fun facts for various scale levels, like the smallest bacterium and the largest black hole Tap any object for an explanation of what it is and how it works Beautifully animated illustration of more than 250 objects Original Kurzgesagt music to complement your experience

Screenshots

The Elements in Action4 screens
Universe in a Nutshell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Universe in a Nutshell at 4.9 against The Elements in Action's 4.4. Universe in a Nutshell also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 7 months) and review sentiment (89% vs 60%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

The Elements in Action costs $4.99 and Universe in a Nutshell $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Universe in a Nutshell holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universe in a Nutshell has 2.5K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of The Elements in Action's written reviews are positive against 89% of Universe in a Nutshell's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Elements in Action ships an update every 7 months, Universe in a Nutshell every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
The Elements in Action versus Universe in a Nutshell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Elements in ActionUniverse in a Nutshell
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.4 (33 ratings)4.9 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.6% of reviews89.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings332.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank—#51 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size555 MB320 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNatureGuides Ltd.in a nutshell - kurzgesagt GmbH

Customer experience

The Elements in Action

All ratings33 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.1%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral11.5%
Negative28.8%

Universe in a Nutshell

All ratings2,508 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews449 reviews
Positive89.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative7.8%

Bugs and requests

The Elements in Action

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Universe in a Nutshell

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on launch for some users
  • Overlapping hit boxes make it difficult to select certain objects

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more objects to explore (e.g. Uranus, Eris, more moons, etc.)
  • Implement a search function to quickly find specific objects
  • Add the ability to compare multiple objects side-by-side
  • Include more in-depth scientific information and facts
  • Provide an option to have the descriptions read aloud
Show 1 more
  • Improve the smoothness of zooming and panning

In-app purchases

None

The Elements in Action

No in-app purchases

None

Universe in a Nutshell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The Elements in Action free?
The Elements in Action costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Universe in a Nutshell free?
Universe in a Nutshell costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Elements in Action or Universe in a Nutshell?
Universe in a Nutshell is rated higher. The Elements in Action averages 4.4 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Universe in a Nutshell averages 4.9 from 2.5K ratings.
Do The Elements in Action or Universe in a Nutshell have ads?
Neither The Elements in Action nor Universe in a Nutshell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Elements in Action or Universe in a Nutshell?
The Elements in Action ships an update every 7 months, and Universe in a Nutshell every 4 days. Most recently, The Elements in Action was updated on November 1, 2026 and Universe in a Nutshell on October 31, 2026.

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