Comparison

Homebrew Timer vs Brewfather

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Homebrew Timer

This app assists beer brewers by sending timely notifications for adding ingredients during the boiling process. It offers a comprehensive list of ingredients, custom additions, and the ability to save and import recipes.

Highlights
  • Brew day notifications
  • Extensive ingredient list
  • Custom ingredient additions
  • Save and import recipes
  • Background notifications
  • Apple Watch integration
Features
Read full description

Homebrew Timer is a brew day app for beer brewers – it pushes notifications to your iPhone or iPad when it's time to add ingredients while your wort is boiling. Select from an extensive list of hops, spices, fruits, herbs, and adjuncts included in the app, or easily add your own custom ingredients. Recipes are saved to your iPhone so they are ready to go next time you brew your favorite beer. Create and save recipes. Import recipes via beerXML files from your favorite homebrew recipe development software. Once started, Homebrew Timer will show the time remaining to add each ingredient and will push a notification to your device's screen Notifications work while app is in the background or closed. Notifications will appear on your Apple Watch if it is set up to mirror notifications for Homebrew Timer. Tap the “?” button on any screen for instructions. Let Homebrew Timer keep track of your brew day so you don't have to while you make great beer. Cheers!

About

Brewfather

This app helps homebrewers design recipes, track batches, and manage ingredients with a powerful, intuitive interface. It offers extensive tools for calculations, fermentation monitoring, and integration with brewing devices. Access a vast recipe library and sync across multiple devices, even offline.

Highlights
  • Recipe designer
  • Batch tracking
  • Ingredient inventory
  • Fermentation charts
  • Recipe library
  • Brew timer
  • Device integrations
Features
Read full description

Powerful and easy to use tool for your brewing needs. Easily create and manage your recipes. Keep track of all the details in your batches and your ingredients inventory. Brewfather is made from the ground up to give you the best recipe design and brewing experience on both desktop and mobile devices. With a modern design that is easy to use. Get your recipes done in no time! With automatic synchronization between all your devices and offline support. Combining a powerful recipe designer with intuitive batch tracking and inventory management to make your brew-day easier. Integrated with many popular devices to aid your brewing. Explore the recipe library with hundreds of quality recipes. Features: * Powerful, intuitive and easy to use interface with dark mode support * Multi-device support - one app everywhere - always! * Offline support, auto-saving, and automatic synchronization * Fully-featured and easy to use recipe designer * Complete batch tracking - log every step of your brew * Fermentation chart * Recipe library with hundreds of quality recipes available for you * Brew timer with alarms and notifications for your brew day! * Profiles for your equipment, mash schedule, fermentation steps, and water * Highly customizable equipment profile to suit any brewing system * Large customizable ingredients database with thousands of ingredients * Inventory stock & cost tracking * Multiple style guidelines (BJCP, Brewers Association, Norbrygg, SHBF, DØDL) * Supports custom style guidelines * Print your recipe or batch to PDF * Import and export BeerXML * Metric and US/Imperial units * Scale recipes up/down * Easily share recipes * Estimate your Final Gravity based on many variables * Calculate every important detail of your recipes and batches * Easy to use yeast amount and yeast starter calculator * Integrated water adjustment calculator with mash pH * Strike temperature calculation * Proper calculation of hop-stand bitterness And many more tools and features to help your brewing. Integrations: * Remote logging from Tilt, RAPT Cloud, iSpindel, Brewpiless, MyBrewbot, Plaato Airlock, Plaato Keg, Floaty, Brewbrain and Custom Stream * Webhook support * Brewtools Cloud integration * Recipe sending to Brewtools brewers * Full SmartPID two-way integration, for brew-day and fermentation control * Programmable API for custom integrations Happy brewing! --- Brewfather is free to use, with an optional Premium subscription to unlock premium features and unlimited recipes/batches. New accounts get 30 days of free Premium access. Brewfather Premium: * Unlimited number of recipes * Unlimited number of batches * Import and export features * Integrate with devices * Create your public profile and add recipes to the recipe library * Ingredient cost tracking * Custom style guidelines * Ability to restore deleted recipes and batches * Add manual readings for the fermentation chart Your payment will be charged to your iTunes Account once you confirm your purchase. Your iTunes account will be charged again when your subscription automatically renews at the end of your current subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours prior to end of the current period. Any unused portion of a trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. You can manage or turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings any time after purchase. --- Privacy Policy: https://docs.brewfather.app/legal/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://docs.brewfather.app/legal/tos Got any questions? Get in touch at hello@brewfather.app

Screenshots

Homebrew Timer4 screens
Brewfather4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Brewfather at Free against Homebrew Timer's $2.99. Brewfather also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). Homebrew Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Brewfather is free to download; Homebrew Timer costs $2.99 up front. Brewfather sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Homebrew Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Brewfather holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brewfather has 756 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Homebrew Timer's written reviews are positive against 94% of Brewfather's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Homebrew Timer ships an update every 7 months, Brewfather monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Homebrew Timer versus Brewfather: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHomebrew TimerBrewfather
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (8 ratings)4.9 (756 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews93.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8756 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank—#61 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB68 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperMary Ann BurtWarpkode AS

Customer experience

Homebrew Timer

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

Brewfather

All ratings755 ratings
Positive99.1%
Neutral0.4%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews130 reviews
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.1%

Bugs and requests

Homebrew Timer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Brewfather

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Share button not working as expected
  • App freezing or crashing on certain devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More Australian malt and ingredient options
  • Automated fermentation temperature monitoring and alerts
  • Improved recipe sharing and collaboration features

In-app purchases

None

Homebrew Timer

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Brewfather

Subscriptions4
  • Premium$2.991 Month
  • Premium Plus$4.991 Month
  • Premium$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium Plus$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Homebrew Timer free?
Homebrew Timer costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brewfather free?
Brewfather is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Homebrew Timer or Brewfather?
Brewfather is rated higher. Homebrew Timer averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Brewfather averages 4.9 from 756 ratings.
Do Homebrew Timer or Brewfather have ads?
Neither Homebrew Timer nor Brewfather shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Homebrew Timer or Brewfather?
Homebrew Timer ships an update every 7 months, and Brewfather monthly. Most recently, Homebrew Timer was updated on November 2, 2026 and Brewfather on November 11, 2026.

Other comparisons