Scientific American
How much does Scientific American cost?
Prices are current as of 29 Sept 2026.
3 subscriptions from $5.99
In the United States, Scientific American has 3 subscriptions priced $5.99 – 49.99.
| Subscription | Period | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Month Subscription | Monthly | $5.99 |
| Scientific American - 1 year Subscription | Annual | $34.99 |
| 1 Year Subscription | Annual | $49.99 |
7 one-time purchases from $5.99
In the United States, Scientific American has 7 one-time purchases priced $5.99.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Scientific American August 2013 issue | $5.99 |
| Scientific American February 2013 issue | $5.99 |
| Scientific American January 2014 issue | $5.99 |
| Scientific American October 2012 issue | $5.99 |
| Scientific American September 2013 issue | $5.99 |
| Scientific American issue for November 2014 | $5.99 |
| Scientific American issue for September 2015 | $5.99 |
10+ alternatives to Scientific American
| Scientific American |   Washington Post |   The Economist: News & Analysis |   Espresso: World news in a shot |   New Scientist |   Foreign Policy News & Analysis |   TIME Magazine |   Science News & Discoveries |   Neuecast: Podcast App |   Science Now |   ProPublica | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rating / 5 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Reviews | 19K | 724K | 470K | 39K | 8.7K | 5K | 2.8K | 2.6K | 782 | 234 | 148 |
| Released | 2012 | 2010 | 2018 | 2014 | 2013 | 2015 | 2010 | 2014 | 2024 | 2011 | 2010 |
| Monthly price | $5.99 | $13.99 | $6.90 | $8.90 | $9.99 | $19.99 | $2.99 | $0.99 | — | $0.99 | — |
| Annual price | $34.99 | $139.99 | $249.00 | $99.00 | $99.99 | $199.99 | $29.99 | $3.99 | $14.99 | — | — |
| One-time price | $5.99 | $3.99 | — | — | $1.99 | — | $4.99 | — | — | $4.99 | — |
The going rate for each plan in United States, in its own currency, shaded from the cheapest price on the row to the dearest. Plans fewer than four in ten of the priced apps sell are left out.
Scientific American reviews
4.8 out of 5, based on 19,060 reviews.
What people like
- Articles are smart and fun
- Great for learning science basics
- Lots of free content available
What they complain about
- Login issues keep you out
- Content feels too political now
- App lacks dark mode support
- Customer service ignores your emails
Well written articles.
Very professionally written and entertaining science news
No Title
I’d like to continue reading the article first, thank you and please.
Tracked
I wish the app tracked which magazines I’ve read and which I haven’t.
I like it but Search is annoying
I’m really into Physics and I love the “Recent” section but the magazines I don’t like so I tried search but you have to pay to search!? That’s just a rip-off But it’s good otherwise
No dark mode
Dark mode is so standard that I’m really surprised isn’t an option for a paid subscription
Real Science
Just love this publication! Came back to it after twenty five years and am not disappointed. The app is easy to use and easy to navigate through issues and articles. Those who call SciAM liberal simply don’t understand real science. Very enjoyable!
Writing Quality is going down
Articles don’t flow analogies don’t actually demonstrate a grasp of the underlying topic. Clickbait feeling and sometimes obviously politically leaning or inflammatory.
Love it
Free app! Lots of great articles! Not a lot of things you can’t do without a subscription.
Past issues
Poor. If I pay for a print edition, I should be able to access recent articles
Politics not science
While i love the scientific content i am very disappointed that the first view articles are always pushing your bias political agenda. For this reason i have to delete this app.
👍
👍
Stop politicizing science
There's more hate Trump articles than CNN and MSNBC COMBINED. It makes for an easy boring all to often need of a swipe of the finger or the delete of an app. I downloaded this app to learn actual fact
DARK MODE NEEDED!
I often switch to New Scientist simply because I like to read science articles at bedtime and the current app burns my eyes!
Another left leaning rag
Just stick to science and keep your political ideology out of it.
Latest news tab no longer working
This tab stopped updating after installing iPadOS 15.7 (new magazines are still received)
My Scientific Journey
This app is unique and allows me to understand what is going on in our scientific community allowing me to have more cosmic insight and thought experiments.
Unable to restore
At best the app will forget you’ve paid for the subscription. I’ve always had to go through a few hoops to get it back over the years. Now they refuse to fix the latest bug. Impossible to restore as the email/password screen goes black every time so the program is unusable on iPad. I’ve cancelled due to their ineptitude.
Mostly great information
I love the quick education on scientific topics this magazine offers. I did find the Kamala Harris’ Linguistic Article disappointing as the dialog rambled forever before saying something about how Kamala speaks.
Not user friendly and tedious
Why don’t hyperlinks in an article open within the app to show the articles? When you click on hyperlinks it takes you to another website where you are asked to login and provide password etc. a very tedious process! Fix your app for a seamless reading experience!!!!
Dark mode
Need to incorporate dark mode in the app. White light is too much strain on the eyes.
Informative
Very informative I love it!
Not good
App suffers from 2009 level performance issues. Words go off the page and scrolling is stilted. There’s no excuse for this.
Great App and Content, some bugs
I love this app, however sometimes pictures on the main list load in broken, or the articles in the list render halfway off the screen. Dark mode (or iBooks theming options) would also be nice, as I mainly catch up with my news at night.
Subpar app
Scrolling doesn’t work properly. Every time I leave the app, articles are slow to reload. Search function loads slowly. No way to look for very old issues, which are supposedly part of the subscription.
Poor app
It looses my log-in details repeatedly. Hard to navigate publication and app.
Galaxium
wow super cool een prestatie van formaat Son lo mejor
Review
Your editor is a disgrace to the journalism and science. The SCI AMER is not the one I grew up with. Shut this journal down.
Gazer
Interessant
A few basic features would greatly improve this app
This app works decent enough, but it’s very basic, difficult to navigate and missing basic features. Special Editions are missing for unlimited subscribers. Would love to see ways to organize or categorize save articles.
Subscription cancels every month
I have to re-enter my log in information every month. Don't lose it. Otherwise, very interesting content and science vulgarization.
Great news
App does its work. Easy to read and easy flow. Live the science and articles. Brilliant.
My online digital subscription has never worked.
My online digital subscription has never worked. I received the magazine, but I’ve never been able to login.
Needs accessibility settings improvements
As someone who is visually impaired, very near sighted, I would greatly appreciate it if you could allow for larger/bolder fonts on the larger iPad Pro, I am running IOS 16.5 and the per app accessibility options do not allow for larger/bolder fonts
Need to rename app
I grew up reading SA. It influenced my choice in careers. Now, maybe 1 out of every 10 articles is actual science and not propaganda. Do not subscribe.
SA
I prefer the printed version and always have! Only limited experience with the online version.
Robert Allott RN
I have long loved reading My Scientific American Magazine! It has launched this inquisitive mind into the Cosmos Above and the Stunningly Deep Universe down below and all of the wonders sandwiched within!! Thank you SA. From RA
Terrible app, great magazine
Can login with info stored on my iPhone when I subscribed through Apple but cannot use its email / user ID and password to sign in online. Reset password does not work at all. Clicking on FAQ leads to dead page, Page Not Found. Nowhere on app to update profile info or to change password.
Very poor app
I have to log in for each new issue although I paid for a 1 yr sub. Ridiculous!
One of the worst
This is one of the worst. Signing in on your various devices is the worst in the industry. Don't buy digital access as access is difficult and at times impossible. Called multiple times and phone is always but No answer to multiple e mails My digital subscription is not accessible on my Mac laptop Trying to get a refund and discontinue what is subscription that is unavailable You have zero customer service All you do is ask for payment of another subscription when I already have one
Not as good
New app version is not as good as previous. I liked the previous version - more like a magazine.
'
Great Magazine to understand science
Political Bias
The science articles are great, stay out of politics - I don’t read this magazine to know your political affiliation and don’t care. Don’t ruin what is good with editors pumping political views
Excellent journal...Worst app ever!
I love this journal (subscriber to print and digital for three years and occasional reader for 40 years). Readability on Ipad is good. There is a recurrent problem with the logon function!!! Every once in a while, the app asks you to pay for the most recent edition despite a valid subscription and logon to the personal account on their website (happens even to previously downloaded versions!?!). If you are late with paying your subscription fees, you loose all previously downloaded editions on your iPad (so much for an electronic library). Contacting them doesn't get you any reaction for a long time as others mentioned. A journal of this quality and reputation deserves a better app and a better service team!
App lacks support
Very bad app. No dark mode. No bookmarking. Since os last update latest news do not refresh. Articles are great though.
Poor app.
For a scientific publishing house you would think they could do better and produce an app that actually works. Poor download performance, slow, hangs etc.
Articles worth reading!
I have yet to read an article in Scientific American that was not worth reading. Always insightful, sometimes amusing, I always look forward to the next issue. Thank you all for inspiring me and opening up the world of science to most of us who are not scientists!
Does Not Download The Magazines!
This App has a major glitch: It doesn’t work! Apple refused to refund my monthly payment so I cancelled my subscription and went directly to SA website… but that doesn’t read on the App either. SA did give me a break because of this but not Apple. Huge iPhone and MacBook fan and other Apps are great… and this one is fine as a free App but doesn’t deliver the mags after payment.
An once excellent app, now just ordinary.
The latest update has spoiled a once excellent app. A once simple task, deleting editions that are no longer needed, has been made convoluted. Graphics, previously an excellent feature, have been cut back drastically. In an effort to allow variable font size, the look of articles is now spartan. Shame.
No way to mark stories or magazines as “finished”
If you like reading magazines in random order there’s no way to mark an article as finished. I guess they expect you to make a list on notepad or something? Really frustrating! And, if you get a new iPad, any system based on downloading disappears because the app rests. Please - make this useable!! Scientific American is such an iconic publication, why isn’t the app as good as the content??
Need retina display support
I have been a long fan of SCIAM. And it is finally come it the iPad. However, it would be great if it can support the retina display for the text.
Scientific American price by country
A one-time purchase costs $5.63 in Canada and $13.59 in Kazakhstan — 2× more for the same thing. Below is the going rate for each plan in every country that sells it — the middle price of what the app charges there, in the country's own currency with the dollar equivalent beneath it.
| Country | Monthly | Annual | One-time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Albania | — | $41.99 | $11.99 |
| Algeria | — | — | $9.99 |
| Angola | — | — | $9.99 |
| Anguilla | — | — | $9.99 |
| Antigua And Barbuda | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Argentina | $5.99 | $34.99 | $5.99 |
| Armenia | — | — | $11.99 |
| Australia | A$9.99$6.99 | A$54.99$38.45 | A$9.99$6.99 |
| Austria | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Azerbaijan | $5.99 | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| Bahamas | — | — | $9.99 |
| Bahrain | — | — | $9.99 |
| Barbados | — | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| Belarus | — | — | $11.99 |
| Belgium | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Belize | — | — | $9.99 |
| Benin | — | — | $11.99 |
| Bermuda | — | — | $9.99 |
| Bhutan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Bolivia | — | — | $9.99 |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | — | — | €9.99$11.37 |
| Botswana | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Brazil | R$24.90$4.78 | R$112.90$21.67 | R$39.90$7.66 |
| British Virgin Islands | — | — | $9.99 |
| Brunei Darussalam | — | — | $9.99 |
| Bulgaria | — | €29.99$34.12 | €9.99$11.37 |
| Burkina Faso | — | — | $9.99 |
| Cambodia | — | — | $9.99 |
| Cameroon | — | — | $11.99 |
| Canada | CA$7.99$5.63 | CA$47.99$33.80 | CA$7.99$5.63 |
| Cape Verde | — | — | $9.99 |
| Cayman Islands | — | — | $9.99 |
| Chad | — | — | $9.99 |
| Chile | CLP 4,500$4.68 | CLP 22,900$23.82 | CLP 6,990$7.27 |
| China | CN¥43.00$6.40 | CN¥233.00$34.67 | CN¥48.00$7.14 |
| Colombia | COP 24,900$7.54 | COP 99,900$30.26 | COP 29,900$9.06 |
| Congo | — | — | $11.99 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic | — | — | $9.99 |
| Costa Rica | $5.99 | $34.99 | $5.99 |
| Cote Divoire | — | — | $11.99 |
| Croatia | — | €38.49$43.79 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Cyprus | — | €34.99$39.81 | €7.99$9.09 |
| Czech Republic | CZK 169.00$7.88 | CZK 829.00$38.65 | CZK 149.00$6.95 |
| Denmark | DKK 49.00$7.46 | DKK 269.00$40.94 | DKK 49.00$7.46 |
| Dominica | — | — | $9.99 |
| Dominican Republic | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Ecuador | — | $34.99 | $5.99 |
| Egypt | — | EGP 639.99$12.29 | EGP 499.99$9.60 |
| El Salvador | $5.99 | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Estonia | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Fiji | — | — | $9.99 |
| Finland | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| France | €6.49$7.54 | €34.99$40.64 | €6.99$8.12 |
| Gabon | — | — | $9.99 |
| Gambia | — | — | $9.99 |
| Georgia | $5.99 | — | $11.99 |
| Germany | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Ghana | — | $49.99 | $11.99 |
| Greece | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Grenada | — | — | $9.99 |
| Guatemala | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Guinea-bissau | — | — | $9.99 |
| Guyana | — | — | $9.99 |
| Honduras | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Hong Kong | HK$48.00$6.12 | HK$278.00$35.46 | HK$48.00$6.12 |
| Hungary | HUF 2,290$7.10 | HUF 9,490$29.40 | HUF 2,990$9.26 |
| Iceland | — | $43.39 | $11.99 |
| India | ₹499.00$5.28 | ₹2,149.00$22.73 | ₹599.00$6.34 |
| Indonesia | IDR 85,000$4.73 | IDR 509,000$28.30 | IDR 119,000$6.62 |
| Iraq | — | — | $9.99 |
| Ireland | €6.49$7.54 | €34.99$40.64 | €6.99$8.12 |
| Israel | ₪21.90$7.13 | ₪139.90$45.57 | ₪19.90$6.48 |
| Italy | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Jamaica | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Japan | ¥650$4.13 | ¥4,200$26.70 | ¥1,000$6.36 |
| Jordan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Kazakhstan | — | KZT 11,990.00$27.21 | KZT 5,990.00$13.59 |
| Kenya | $5.99 | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| Kosovo | — | — | €9.99$11.37 |
| Kuwait | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Kyrgyzstan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Lao Peoples Democratic Republic | — | — | $9.99 |
| Latvia | — | €34.99$39.81 | €9.99$11.37 |
| Lebanon | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Liberia | — | — | $9.99 |
| Libya | — | — | $9.99 |
| Lithuania | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €9.99$11.37 |
| Luxembourg | — | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Macao | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Macedonia | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Madagascar | — | — | $9.99 |
| Malawi | — | — | $9.99 |
| Malaysia | MYR 26.90$6.59 | MYR 147.90$36.25 | MYR 29.90$7.33 |
| Maldives | — | — | $9.99 |
| Mali | — | — | $9.99 |
| Malta | — | €34.99$39.81 | €9.99$11.37 |
| Mauritania | — | — | $9.99 |
| Mauritius | — | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| Mexico | MX$119.00$6.65 | MX$599.00$33.46 | MX$129.00$7.21 |
| Micronesia | — | — | $9.99 |
| Moldova | — | — | $11.99 |
| Mongolia | $5.99 | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Montenegro | — | — | €9.99$11.37 |
| Montserrat | — | — | $9.99 |
| Morocco | — | — | $11.99 |
| Mozambique | — | — | $9.99 |
| Myanmar | — | — | $9.99 |
| Namibia | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Nauru | — | — | $9.99 |
| Nepal | — | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| Netherlands | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| New Zealand | NZ$10.99$6.21 | NZ$51.99$29.37 | NZ$9.99$5.64 |
| Nicaragua | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Niger | — | — | $9.99 |
| Nigeria | — | NGN 10,900.00$8.20 | NGN 14,900.00$11.21 |
| Norway | — | NOK 379.00$39.77 | NOK 79.00$8.29 |
| Oman | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Pakistan | PKR 950$3.43 | PKR 3,650$13.18 | PKR 1,900$6.86 |
| Palau | — | — | $9.99 |
| Panama | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Papua New Guinea | — | — | $9.99 |
| Paraguay | $5.99 | — | $9.99 |
| Peru | PEN 19.90$5.82 | PEN 112.90$33.01 | PEN 24.90$7.28 |
| Philippines | ₱309.00$4.93 | ₱1,690.00$26.94 | ₱449.00$7.16 |
| Poland | PLN 28.99$7.77 | PLN 129.99$34.85 | PLN 29.99$8.04 |
| Portugal | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €7.99$9.09 |
| Qatar | — | QAR 124.99$34.34 | QAR 39.99$10.99 |
| Romania | RON 29.99$6.46 | RON 142.99$30.82 | RON 29.99$6.46 |
| Russia | RUB 459.00$5.44 | RUB 2,650.00$31.41 | RUB 499.00$5.91 |
| Rwanda | — | — | $9.99 |
| Sao Tome & Principe | — | — | $9.99 |
| Saudi Arabia | — | SAR 127.99$34.13 | SAR 24.99$6.66 |
| Senegal | — | — | $11.99 |
| Serbia | — | — | €9.99$11.37 |
| Seychelles | — | — | $9.99 |
| Sierra Leone | — | — | $9.99 |
| Singapore | SGD 8.98$7.02 | SGD 49.98$39.05 | SGD 8.98$7.02 |
| Slovakia | — | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Slovenia | — | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Solomon Islands | — | — | $9.99 |
| South Africa | ZAR 104.99$6.40 | ZAR 679.99$41.44 | ZAR 119.99$7.31 |
| South Korea | ₩8,000$5.89 | ₩42,000$30.91 | ₩9,900$7.28 |
| Spain | €6.49$7.38 | €34.99$39.81 | €6.99$7.95 |
| Sri Lanka | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | — | — | $9.99 |
| St. Lucia | — | — | $9.99 |
| St. Vincent & The Grenadines | — | — | $9.99 |
| Suriname | — | — | $9.99 |
| Swaziland | — | — | $9.99 |
| Sweden | SEK 75.00$7.53 | SEK 369.00$37.05 | SEK 79.00$7.93 |
| Switzerland | CHF 6.50$7.81 | CHF 34.00$40.87 | CHF 5.00$6.01 |
| Taiwan | NT$200.00$6.29 | NT$1,050.00$33.01 | NT$220.00$6.92 |
| Tajikistan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Tanzania | TZS 13,900.00$5.25 | — | TZS 29,900.00$11.30 |
| Thailand | THB 179.00$5.33 | THB 1,220.00$36.32 | THB 199.00$5.92 |
| Tonga | — | — | $9.99 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Tunisia | — | — | $9.99 |
| Turkey | TRY 39.99$0.82 | TRY 92.99$1.90 | TRY 299.99$6.12 |
| Turkmenistan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Turks and Caicos | — | — | $9.99 |
| Uganda | — | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| Ukraine | $5.99 | $34.99 | $11.99 |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 22.99$6.26 | AED 127.99$34.87 | AED 22.99$6.26 |
| United Kingdom | £5.99$7.94 | £25.99$34.47 | £5.99$7.94 |
| United States | $5.99 | $34.99 | $5.99 |
| Uruguay | — | $34.99 | $6.99 |
| Uzbekistan | — | — | $9.99 |
| Vanuatu | — | — | $9.99 |
| Venezuela | — | $34.99 | $9.99 |
| Vietnam | ₫139,000$5.35 | ₫789,000$30.35 | ₫299,000$11.50 |
| Yemen | — | — | $9.99 |
| Zambia | — | — | $11.99 |
| Zimbabwe | — | $34.99 | $11.99 |
Scientific American FAQ
- Is Scientific American free?
- Yes. The app and its basic features are free, in all 175 countries it sells in. Premium features are paid: they start from $5.99 (US), across 3 subscriptions and 7 one-time purchases.
- How much does Scientific American cost per month?
- 1 Month Subscription is $5.99 (US). The annual plan works out cheaper per month: $34.99 – 49.99 a year.
- Does Scientific American have a free trial?
- No. None of its offers (US) come with a free trial.
- Where is Scientific American cheapest?
- A one-time purchase costs CA$7.99 (≈$5.63) in Canada and KZT 5,990.00 (≈$13.59) in Kazakhstan, its cheapest and dearest countries.
- What are the best alternatives to Scientific American?
- Washington Post (4.7 from 724,335 reviews, premium from $3.99), The Economist: News & Analysis (4.8 from 470,453 reviews, premium from $6.90) and Espresso: World news in a shot (4.8 from 38,737 reviews, premium from $8.90).
Scientific American download
Last updated 1 year ago.
Scientific American sells in 175 countries. It was released 14 years and 2 months ago, on 17 Jul 2012. It holds a 4.8 rating from 19,060 reviews.
Supports 1 language: English.
How much does Scientific American make?
Third-party estimates for the last 30 days, worldwide — not the store's own figures, which Apple publishes for nobody.
Revenue by plan
- Annual 47%
- One-time 31%
- Monthly 22%
Revenue by country
- United States 66%
- Canada 6%
- Australia 3%
- United Kingdom 3%