PhET Interactive Simulations — Overview & Pricing

PhET Interactive Simulations is a kids education app brand operating in its primary market. Its product is built around curriculum-aligned learning content, gamified engagement for young learners, and parent dashboard with progress, and the operator positions itself as free open-source science and math simulations from CU Boulder, competing on the free / open dimension with Gizmos, Labster, Beyond Labz, and other paid sim subscriptions.

Quick facts · Operator: PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder · HQ: Boulder, Colorado, United States · Founded: 2002 (founded by Nobel laureate Carl Wieman) · Listing / ownership: non-profit project of a public university; supported by NSF, Hewlett Foundation, and donations · Anchor pricing: completely free for teachers, students, and the public; donations welcome; no paid tier

What is PhET Interactive Simulations?

PhET Interactive Simulations operates in the kids education app category. The product surface centres on curriculum-aligned learning content, with the brand also covering gamified engagement for young learners and parent dashboard with progress. Customers typically use PhET Interactive Simulations as part of their day-to-day routine in this category, which is why operator track record, local-market fit, and renewal pricing matter alongside the feature list.

Operator profile

The legal operator is PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder. Headquarters: Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded: 2002 (founded by Nobel laureate Carl Wieman). Ownership status: non-profit project of a public university; supported by NSF, Hewlett Foundation, and donations. For compliance, dispute escalation, and corporate reporting, the operator's own contact and legal pages are the authoritative reference.

Why choose PhET Interactive Simulations

Product positioning and focus

PhET Interactive Simulations is positioned as free open-source science and math simulations from CU Boulder, competing on the free / open dimension with Gizmos, Labster, Beyond Labz, and other paid sim subscriptions. That focus shapes its pricing model, the integrations it prioritises, and the customer segment it targets in its primary market.

Feature breadth

The service ships with the following named capabilities:

• 150+ interactive math and science simulations (physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, math)
• HTML5 simulations run in any modern browser; iOS/Android apps also available
• Teacher-contributed lesson plans aligned with US standards
• Translated into 100+ languages by a global volunteer community
• Offline downloads for classrooms with poor connectivity
• Accessible design (keyboard navigation, screen reader support on key sims)
• Free LMS integrations and embed codes

Curriculum and learning approach

PhET is fully free and open-licensed, distinguishing it from paid science-simulation platforms like Labster or Gizmos. Through 2024-2026 the project continued adding accessibility features and new sims with NSF and foundation funding. PhET sims have been cited in tens of thousands of K-16 classroom papers.

Pricing in 2026

PhET Interactive Simulations publishes plan pricing on its own website, and the rate displayed for any given user depends on the country, currency, and active promotional period. Anchor pricing: completely free for teachers, students, and the public; donations welcome; no paid tier. Subger tracks plan changes country by country, so always verify the live rate for your market in the pricing table below this description before committing.

PhET Interactive Simulations apps and platform support

Curriculum and learning approach in depth

Building on the points raised earlier in this description, PhET Interactive Simulations's 2025-2026 position centres on the differentiators just summarised. For procurement and personal-budget decisions in 2025-2026, the practical questions for PhET Interactive Simulations are the renewal-rate behaviour after any introductory promotion, the exact features unlocked at each tier, payment-method coverage, and customer-support language and channels.

These factors often outweigh raw feature counts when comparing PhET Interactive Simulations against competing options.

Use cases PhET Interactive Simulations fits

• Early-learning households supplementing pre-school
• Elementary students practising math, reading, science
• Travel-friendly learning on long trips
• Homeschool curricula needing structured content
• Test-prep or grade-level catch-up

Procurement checklist before you commit

Before signing up for PhET Interactive Simulations, run through this short checklist:

• Confirm the live price in your country in the pricing table below this description; vendor list prices vary by region and currency.
• Note the renewal rate, not just the intro rate — many operators in the kids education app space discount the first term and revert to a higher renewal.
• Check that the tier you are picking includes the features cited above; entry tiers often gate the most useful capabilities.
• Review the PhET Interactive Simulations cancellation guide so you know how to exit if the product does not fit.
• For household, family, or team rollouts, validate multi-user support on the higher tier rather than the starter plan.

Frequently asked questions

Who operates PhET Interactive Simulations and where is it based?

PhET Interactive Simulations is operated by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded: 2002 (founded by Nobel laureate Carl Wieman). Ownership status: non-profit project of a public university; supported by NSF, Hewlett Foundation, and donations. The parent group, when applicable, is responsible for regulatory disclosures, financial reporting, and corporate-level dispute escalation.

How much does PhET Interactive Simulations cost in 2026?

Anchor pricing in 2026: completely free for teachers, students, and the public; donations welcome; no paid tier. Subger tracks live country-specific pricing in the table below this description because prices vary by region, currency, and promotional period. Always verify the live rate for your country before committing.

Is there a free tier or trial?

PhET Interactive Simulations offers entry-level access, a free trial, or freemium content depending on the operator's current promotion and tier list above. Confirm in the live pricing table below before committing to a paid plan.

What makes PhET Interactive Simulations different in 2025-2026?

In short: see the "Curriculum and learning approach" section above for the 2025-2026 differentiator detail. The headline framing is that PhET Interactive Simulations is positioned as free open-source science and math simulations from CU Boulder, competing on the free / open dimension with Gizmos, Labster, Beyond Labz, and other paid sim subscriptions, with the recent product moves summarised in that section.

Which platforms does PhET Interactive Simulations support?

PhET Interactive Simulations runs on the platforms listed in the platform-support table above. Coverage typically includes web, mobile, and any category-specific surfaces (smart-TV, voice-assistant, connected-car, RFID hardware) relevant to its product.

Can I cancel PhET Interactive Simulations anytime?

Yes. PhET Interactive Simulations subscriptions can be cancelled from your account dashboard or by contacting customer support. For a step-by-step walkthrough see the PhET Interactive Simulations cancellation guide on Subger, which mirrors the official process and notes any retention offers.

Are there active deals or promo codes?

Subger maintains live pages for PhET Interactive Simulations deals and PhET Interactive Simulations promo codes. Both pages refresh as vendor offers change, so check them before subscribing.

Does PhET Interactive Simulations support customers outside its home market?

PhET Interactive Simulations is positioned around its primary market. Customers outside that market should verify on the operator's own site whether their country is supported before signing up, since payment methods, language coverage, and feature parity often differ.

How does PhET Interactive Simulations handle data and privacy?

PhET Interactive Simulations's privacy practices are published on the operator's own privacy or legal page. Key questions to verify for your use case are data location, retention policy, sub-processor list, and any compliance certifications (such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR alignment) where relevant.

Where can I track the renewal price after the intro period ends?

Subger's PhET Interactive Simulations true-price tracker records the intro rate, the renewal rate, and any mid-cycle changes — useful for catching auto-renewal increases that can otherwise go unnoticed.

How do I contact PhET Interactive Simulations customer support?

PhET Interactive Simulations publishes customer-support channels on its own website, typically including in-app or in-account messaging, email, and (depending on the operator) phone. For urgent billing matters, escalating via the account dashboard is usually the fastest route to a human agent.

Get started with PhET Interactive Simulations

Check the live pricing table below this description for the current rate in your country, then head to the operator's website to sign up. If you are comparing options, the related Subger guides below give you cancellation steps, active deals, and renewal-price tracking for PhET Interactive Simulations.

Related Subger guides

• How to cancel PhET Interactive Simulations - step-by-step cancellation walkthrough
• PhET Interactive Simulations deals - active offers and discounts
• PhET Interactive Simulations promo codes - current redemption codes
• PhET Interactive Simulations true-price tracker - intro vs renewal price history
• Kids Education category hub - alternatives and comparisons in the same category