# Costa Vida vs Mel's Kitchen

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mel's Kitchen at 100% against Costa Vida's 41%. Mel's Kitchen also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Costa Vida's advantage is ratings volume (8.5K vs 12). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Mel's Kitchen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Costa Vida has 8.5K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Costa Vida's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mel's Kitchen's.

Costa Vida ships an update every 2 weeks, Mel's Kitchen every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Costa Vida | Mel's Kitchen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (8.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/costa-vida/id1029886081/reviews) | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mels-kitchen/id1584393328/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.5K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 40.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 103 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1385072204) | [Trey Foster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547038408) |

## What reviewers say

### Costa Vida

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/costa-vida/id1029886081)

Easily reorder favorite meals, customize orders, and filter by allergens. Stay updated on offers and enjoy a smoother delivery experience. Join the loyalty program to earn points and rewards.

**Highlights:** Quick reordering of past orders, Allergen filtering for dietary needs, Order customization options, Easy payment processing, Loyalty program for earning points, QR code scanning for rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Friendly and helpful staff
- 🍔 Delicious and fresh food
- 💳 Rewards program
- 🛒 Convenient ordering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with glitches
- 🤔 Confusing rewards system
- 🕰️ Long wait times
- 💰 Portions feel skimpy
- 🔒 Account/login issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during ordering
- Rewards not properly tracking or applying
- Inability to create or link accounts
- Ordering process resets unexpectedly
- Geolocation requirements for receipt scanning

**Requested features**

- Allow customization options in the app
- Integrate rewards redemption into the app
- Improve app stability and user experience
- Offer more payment options beyond gift cards
- Provide better communication on app updates


### Mel's Kitchen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mels-kitchen/id1584393328)

Discover a curated collection of delicious recipes from an experienced chef. Subscribe to receive new culinary creations regularly and share your feedback.

**Highlights:** Chef-curated recipes, Regularly updated content, User reviews and feedback, Recipe collection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Costa Vida free?

Costa Vida is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mel's Kitchen free?

Mel's Kitchen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Costa Vida or Mel's Kitchen?

Mel's Kitchen is rated higher. Costa Vida averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8.5K ratings, while Mel's Kitchen averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Costa Vida or Mel's Kitchen have ads?

Neither Costa Vida nor Mel's Kitchen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Costa Vida or Mel's Kitchen?

Costa Vida ships an update every 2 weeks, and Mel's Kitchen every 2 days. Most recently, Costa Vida was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mel's Kitchen on October 24, 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.*