# Th3rdwave vs Ask Chef

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Th3rdwave at none against Ask Chef's 2. Th3rdwave also leads on ads (none vs shown). Ask Chef's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ask Chef sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Th3rdwave asks for nothing beyond the download.

Th3rdwave ships an update every 3 weeks, Ask Chef every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Th3rdwave | Ask Chef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/th3rdwave/id1117576488/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **30** | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 131 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Reseau Social Walkin Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1027404756) | [Initiatives VLA inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889038333) |

## What reviewers say

### Th3rdwave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/th3rdwave/id1117576488)

Discover and find coffee shops with this comprehensive directory and community app. Track visited places, save favorites, and manage loyalty cards for free coffee. Explore new brews with a premium monthly subscription service.

**Highlights:** Discover new and hidden neighborhood cafés, Search over 5,000 cafés globally, Advanced search filters for cafés, Track visited places and save favorites, Manage loyalty cards and earn free coffee, Curated monthly coffee subscription service

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Great for discovering cafes
- 👍 Useful for finding local businesses
- 🗺️ Good map functionality
- ☕ Excellent for coffee lovers
- 🚀 Efficient loyalty stamp management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login issues after logout
- ❌ No coffee shops available in some cities
- 🤔 Unintuitive interface
- 🐌 Slow performance/bugs
- ⚠️ Inconsistent barista quality

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot log back in after logout
- No coffee shops available in user's city
- Map function not working
- Order button location inconsistent
- Location services inaccurate

**Requested features**

- Color-coded map for visited places
- Search for boroughs
- Filter for '3rd wave' cafes
- Add rating on map
- Consistent location for 'Order' button


### Ask Chef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ask-chef-cooking-companion/id6761346875)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Value | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Th3rdwave free?

Th3rdwave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ask Chef free?

Ask Chef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Th3rdwave or Ask Chef have ads?

Ask Chef shows ads; Th3rdwave does not.

### Which is updated more often, Th3rdwave or Ask Chef?

Th3rdwave ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ask Chef every 6 days. Most recently, Th3rdwave was updated on November 6, 2026 and Ask Chef on November 5, 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.*