The Elements in Action vs Elementium
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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‘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
Elementium
Access comprehensive information on every element of the periodic table. Explore detailed data, visualize trends, and utilize a built-in solubility calculator. Perfect for students and professionals needing quick, accurate chemical data.
- Detailed element information
- Interactive periodic table
- Dynamic filtering and trend visualization
- Solubility calculator
- Element image library
- Bohr model visualizations
- Home screen widgets
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The premiere periodic table app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Quickly reference any element and all the information you need. Search for elements by on classification, phase, orbital, mass, or number. Dynamic filters help you understand periodic trends, like electronegativity, at a glance. Dive even deeper to get standard, frequently-used data points such as mass, electronegativity, radius, radioactivity, electron configuration, and more. LEARN Each element prominently features: • Symbol, name, and number • Atomic mass • Electronegativity • Electron configuration • Atomic radius • Melting and boiling points • Year of discovery • State at STP • Radioactivity Elements are also accompanied by discussions on its uses, discovery, and more. You can quickly find more information and publications about each element via links to Wikipedia, Science Direct®, and the American Chemical Society®. EXPLORE The periodic table is laid out in a clear, concise manner that adapts to the size of your screen. No more squinting at blurry images of the periodic table from web searches. Beautiful color-coding helps you quickly distinguish element classifications, phases at STP, electronegativity, and atomic radius. Trends and filtering help students who are learning chemistry to visualize patterns. SOLUBILITY CALCUALTOR A built in solubility calculator* answers all your, "is this soluble in that", questions. Just specify a solvent and a solute to check their compatibility. A solubility lookup table is also available for cross-referencing multiple combinations. VISUALIZATIONS See beautiful depictions of elements from raw to processed, and in other forms. The extensive library of images help you understand what your lab samples should look like, or may be helpful to students learning about chemistry.* SEARCH Search for elements by name, symbol, mass, or number from within Elementium™ or via Spotlight. Results are shown directly on the periodic table. Need faster access to element information? Search directly from Spotlight on the lock screen or home screen of your device. BOHR MODELS Animated Bohr models for each element help visualize how electrons are oriented around the nucleus.* WRITE & REPORT Academics and students writing reports and using data frequently in the classroom or the lab can simply tap on an aspect of an element to export its information.* HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Add the Periodic Table widget to your home screen for quick and easy reference to the Periodic Table. Or, try out the "random element" widget which is useful for students. ADDITIONAL NICE THINGS • Custom app icons • Set temperature and atomic radius to your preferred units • Search Spotlight for elements • Thoughtfully developed with accessibility in mind • A subscription is totally optional • No account required • Privacy focused (no tracking, no data collection) ------- ION Subscription Notice Subscription prices vary by duration and may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. Manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://spencer-software.com/elementium/privacy Terms of Service: https://spencer-software.com/elementium/tos ------- *Requires in-app purchase. Elementium™ is a trademark of Samuel Spencer.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Elementium at Free against The Elements in Action's $4.99. Elementium also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (576 vs 33). The Elements in Action's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.1). On rating, ads and device support 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
Elementium is free to download; The Elements in Action costs $4.99 up front. Elementium sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. The Elements in Action asks for nothing beyond the download.
Elementium holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elementium has 576 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 75% of Elementium's.
The Elements in Action ships an update every 7 months, Elementium every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Elements in Action | Elementium |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (33 ratings) | 4.6 (576 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33 | 576 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 555 MB | 752 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NatureGuides Ltd. | Samuel Spencer |
Customer experience
The Elements in Action
Elementium
Bugs and requests
The Elements in Action
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Elementium
Reported bugs
5 issues- App crashes on startup and when tapping elements
- Crashes on older iOS devices and iPod Touch
- Molar mass not visible in iPhone landscape orientation
- Intrusive purchase prompt that's difficult to dismiss
- Rating request spam appearing too early in user experience
Requested features
5 requests- Element images and visual representations
- One-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Zoom out to view entire periodic table at once
- Better display of molar mass on iPhone in landscape mode
- More detailed information and content
In-app purchases
The Elements in Action
No in-app purchases
Elementium
- ION, 1 month1 Month trial$1.991 Month
- ION, 3 Months3 Days trial$3.993 Months
- ION, 6 months$5.996 Months
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- ION, 1 year$9.991 Year
- Export Data$0.99
- Bohr Models$1.99
- Advanced Sorting$2.99
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- Visual Elements$3.99
- Advanced Tools$4.99
Questions
Is The Elements in Action free?
Is Elementium free?
Which has better reviews, The Elements in Action or Elementium?
Do The Elements in Action or Elementium have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Elements in Action or Elementium?
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