# Experience Biology vs Newsela Student

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Newsela Student at none against Experience Biology's 6. Newsela Student also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Experience Biology's advantage is iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Experience Biology sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Newsela Student asks for nothing beyond the download.

Experience Biology ships an update every 6 months, Newsela Student every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Experience Biology | Newsela Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.7 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **29K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 75.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Center for Educational Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/498928218) | [Newsela](https://appshunter.io/developer/966370935) |

## What reviewers say

### Experience Biology

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/experience-biology/id777236202)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pond Food Chain | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cellular Respiration | $0.99 | one-time |
| Journey to Biological Levels of Organization | $0.99 | one-time |
| Genetics: Inheritance of a Single Trait | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Beating Heart | $0.99 | one-time |
| Photosynthesis | $0.99 | one-time |


### Newsela Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsela-student/id966371321)

This app offers engaging articles on diverse topics, each presented at five different reading levels. It includes activities and quizzes to deepen understanding, automatically adjusting difficulty to keep learners challenged and motivated. Students can track their progress and practice vocabulary.

**Highlights:** Leveled articles on any topic, Adjustable reading levels, Integrated activities and quizzes, Offline annotation and submission, Real-time progress tracking, Vocabulary practice (Power Words), Curated and custom learning sets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app for different reading levels
- 📚 Variety of informative articles
- 🎓 Useful for education and learning
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and vocabulary
- 🙌 Great resource for teachers and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🔍 Lack of specific search options
- 💤 Boring or one-sided content
- 🤔 Grading system needs improvement
- 📱 Mobile app issues (login, navigation)

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues on iOS 12
- Binder page frequently freezes or glitches
- Inability to see all available article sets
- Replying and submitting work takes too long

**Requested features**

- Add word definitions or translations
- Implement auto-save for writing assignments
- Introduce a teacher-specific version of the app
- Expand content to include more global news
- Improve multitasking and split-screen support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Experience Biology free?

Experience Biology is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Newsela Student free?

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

### Do Experience Biology or Newsela Student have ads?

Neither Experience Biology nor Newsela Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Experience Biology or Newsela Student?

Experience Biology ships an update every 6 months, and Newsela Student every 2 months. Most recently, Experience Biology was updated on October 26, 2026 and Newsela Student on October 31, 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.*