# Shop Ethical! > Ethical shopping guide for Australian consumers with company and product ratings. (iPhone/iPad app by Ethical Consumer Group Inc.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shop-ethical/id502190240 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Ethical Consumer Group Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756897909) - Category: Reference, Lifestyle - Price: $3.99 - Rating: 4.30/5 from 7 App Store ratings · 64 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 32 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2012-02-16 - Data updated: 2026-09-04 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shop-ethical/id502190240/reviews.md ## What is Shop Ethical!? The SHOP ETHICAL! app gives you the low-down on the environmental and social record of companies behind common brands you buy in Australian supermarkets and beyond. Shop with a clear conscience! The most comprehensive guide to ethical shopping in Australia, Shop Ethical! has been designed to provide consumers with the easiest way to make informed purchasing decisions. The Shop Ethical! app provides consumers instant access to over 5,000 products with related company information and lets them make an informed and ethical decision whenever they shop. By shopping ethically consumers can send a strong message for change and help support the practices that make our world a better place to live in. The Shop Ethical! app uses the latest data from the Shop Ethical! website (ethical.org.au) and is also available as a book. The Shop Ethical! app has been downloaded thousands of times since 2010, and the Shop Ethical! book has sold over 135,000 copies since 2008. Company ratings are based on information gathered from over 50 sources including the work of organisations such as Greenpeace, Choose Cruelty Free, WWF, Rank a Brand and Friends of the Earth. Shop Ethical! is a collaboration between the Ethical Consumer Group and Outware Mobile. AS FEATURED ON CHANNEL 7 NEWS! CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS : 

Best app I have, I use it daily and it's changed the way I see the world. 
Emma, VIC 

Simply, "Thank you." I am so grateful that you have done all the hard work, so that lazy/tired/child-distracted mothers like me can confidently tell their whining 8 year olds "no, we are not buying that, because the people who will get our money hurt other people and/or animals". 
I have always wanted this information but have never had the spare energy to go and find it myself. You have done a brilliant job. Please let me know if you have a panel of testers or proof readers which requires more members, or any other way in which I can contribute to your efforts from home while Miss 8 sleeps. I have been forwarding your "tell a friend" message onto everyone I know who has an iPhone. 
 Annie, Boronia, VIC 

 AWESOME app!! Thanks guys. I'm a naturopath that tries to educate my patients on the benefits of ethical shopping and living sustainably. Will definitely be recommending this app to my patients. Great work! 
Elise, Vic 

 Thank you big time for this app!! It's so easy to use at the supermarket and clarifies so many of the issues surrounding products and companies, making the weekly shop fit better with my conscience. My kids are also able to look and see if their favourite things are positive or negative and can make their own ethical shopping decisions. Brilliant!!! 
 Sara, Canberra This app works on both iPhone and iPad. It is optimised for smartphones, not tablets. ## Key features - Company environmental and social record information - Over 5,000 product ratings - Informed purchasing decisions - Ethical shopping guide - Company and brand information ## What do users think of Shop Ethical!? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Easy to use and navigate - 💡 Provides valuable ethical information - 🌍 Empowers conscious consumerism - ✅ Helps make informed purchasing decisions - 📚 Offers detailed company background - 🔄 App keeps improving over time - 🚀 Quick response from developers - ✨ Makes ethical shopping simple - 🎯 Helps avoid unethical brands - 🔍 Provides evidence-based ratings - 💰 Worth the investment for information - 🗣️ Facilitates consumer change **Cons** - ❓ Missing many companies/brands - 🌍 Focus on Australia/Australasia - ⏳ Outdated information in some cases - ❓ Ratings can be confusing for new users - 🤷‍♀️ Difficulty finding overarching company names - ❓ Some brands listed with question marks - 📉 Not all mainstream supermarket brands listed **Commonly reported bugs** - Barcode scanner not in database - App stuck on Home Screen - Cannot send feedback/report errors - Links to further information often don't work - Errors when trying to add new products - Cannot scroll through certain category pages - App is unfinished and buggy - Charged again for the same app **Most requested features** - Include more companies/brands - Expand geographical focus (USA, Canada, NZ) - Update information more frequently - Tailor focus to specific regions (USA, California) - Include more NZ product/store reviews - Add more Australian brands - Improve the 'Take Action' category functionality - Make the app free or cheaper if unfinished/buggy - Provide more evidence for ratings ## Recent user reviews (10 of 64) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shop-ethical/id502190240/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Useless *2026-02-19, version 2.5.0* “This barcode is not in our database” ### 4/5 — Simple & easy to use *2025-03-18, version 2.4.6* The Shop Ethical! app is a great starting place if you're wanting to shop more ethically. The ratings give a broad but good overview of how ethical (or unethical) a company is - ratings are not for products themselves. I use this app all the time to check the 'eco credentials' and ethical nature of the company behind products I'm interested in buying. I find it especially helpful when comparing similar items, it helps me to choose the more ethical one as you see a list of alternatives in each category. Overall I would rate 4* because there's always things that can be improved; I especially find it frustrating that sometimes I can't find ratings for particular companies or brands, so I have to do my own research to find the name of the overarching company. But overall it's a great app and very simple to use, although the ratings could be confusing for someone new to it. ### 4/5 — Very informative app *2025-03-13, version 2.4.6* This app has changed the way I shop. The awareness it’s given me about the ethics and global reach of companies is mind-blowing. I would have given it 5stars if it included more companies, but many I normally use are represented here. ### 3/5 — Good but not great *2025-03-13, version 2.4.6* Many products are completely missing eg maple syrup. ### 5/5 — Keeps getting better *2025-01-16, version 2.4.6* I’ve had this app for years and go through periods where I don’t use it frequently. And every time I come back, it’s better somehow. More info, easier to navigate. It just keeps getting better! Love it. ### 5/5 — Thank you *2025-01-13, version 2.4.6* Thanks so much for doing all the work! I so appreciate it all being done for me!! It feels good to shop in alignment with my values. ### 5/5 — Informed Choices *2024-06-11, version 2.4.5* I use this app before I consider buying anything. As ordinary people, the only impact we can have to bring about positive change is through our power as consumers. We don’t have the time or resources to evaluate which companies are more ethical so I really appreciate having a quick and easy reference to guide me. ### 5/5 — Tops app *2024-05-06, version 2.4.5* I love this app. Easy to use and all in one place. So good to be able to see the summary company ratings but also drill down to the details. Makes it pretty easy to compare brands and make best choices when shopping. Well done! ### 1/5 — Glitch *2024-04-15, version 2.4.5* Unfortunately I paid for this but can’t get past the Home Screen as it appears to be stuck. Can I please either have a refund or can you please contact me re getting it fixed. Thanks. ### 5/5 — So handy *2024-01-26, version 2.4.5* I’m so glad someone has taken all the hard work out of trying to shop ethically. Thanks to all involved in this useful app. ## Frequently asked questions about Shop Ethical! ### What does the Shop Ethical! app do? The Shop Ethical! app provides consumers with detailed information on the environmental and social records of companies behind common brands. It offers access to over 5,000 products and their related company data, enabling users to make informed and ethical purchasing decisions. ### How are the company ratings determined? Company ratings are based on data gathered from over 50 sources, including the work of reputable organizations like Greenpeace, Choose Cruelty Free, WWF, Rank a Brand, and Friends of the Earth. This ensures a comprehensive and credible assessment of ethical practices. ### Is the Shop Ethical! app free to use? Yes, the Shop Ethical! app is free to download and use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description. ### What kind of products and companies are covered? The app covers a wide range of common brands found in Australian supermarkets and beyond, providing information on over 5,000 products. It focuses on the environmental and social record of the companies behind these brands. ### Can I use this app on my tablet? The app is optimized for smartphones and works on both iPhone and iPad. While it functions on tablets, its design is primarily intended for smartphone use. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.5.0 — 2025-03-26 - Major upgrade to our ratings system, introducing eight new tiers: A+, A-, B+, B-, C+, C-, D+, and D- - Company assessment pages now display the "Last Updated" date at the bottom. - Lots of minor improvements - Full data update ### 2.4.6 — 2024-07-24 - We have brought app development in-house, so free data updates over wi-fi will be coming much more often (every 1-3 months) - Full data update - Bug fix: sharing feedback by email now works with Gmail and other mail apps ### 2.4.5 — 2019-11-22 - We have streamlined our data update process. Every time you start the app it will check for new data, which will be coming through much more regularly. - Full data update - Many broken links fixed ### 2.4.4 — 2019-02-12 - Major data update, including a full review of supermarket products - Categorisation improvements, particularly in Food & Drink - Many broken links fixed To increase security it is now a requirement that all web traffic in the app is sent via SSL. We are in the process of updating the links within our app to comply with this requirement however some of the target websites are not compatible. We'll continue making updates to ensure there's as many working links as possible. ### 2.4.3 — 2017-11-01 Full data update, including: - New product type: Thongs/Sandals - New product type: Activewear - 'Online' subcategory expanded to include Video Streaming, Music Streaming, Social Media & E-commerce - Over 30 new company profiles - Over 100 new brand/product listings Due to a recent change to the iOS operating system outgoing links to webpages that are not https will not work. This is causing many of the links in our app to not load up. We will update as many of our links as possible for the next update. ## Apps similar to Shop Ethical! | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Plants of South Eastern NSW](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plants-of-south-eastern-nsw/id1450472552) | — | Free | Reference | | [Pizzey and Knight Birds of Aus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pizzey-and-knight-birds-of-aus/id714625973) | 5.0 (1) | $29.99 | Reference | | [FrogSpotter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/frogspotter/id1049922428) | — | Free | Reference | | [Rainforest Plants 2nd Edition](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rainforest-plants-2nd-edition/id6639604850) | — | $19.99 | Reference | | [RFK Edition 8](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rfk-edition-8/id1535585090) | — | $12.99 | Reference | | [Wunambal Gaambera dictionary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wunambal-gaambera-dictionary/id6457952728) | — | Free | Reference | ## Related topics [ethical](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ethical) · [ethical consumer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ethical-consumer) · [ethical shopping](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ethical-shopping) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-04.*