# Ember vs BourbonVault

The clearest difference is rating: BourbonVault at 4.0 against Ember's 3.3. BourbonVault also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 18%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). Ember's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (7.5K vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BourbonVault sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ember asks for nothing beyond the download.

BourbonVault holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ember has 7.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Ember's written reviews are positive against 50% of BourbonVault's.

Ember ships an update every 2 months, BourbonVault every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ember | BourbonVault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-temperature-control/id1147470931/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bourbonvault/id6757373775/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 63 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Ember Technologies Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063861447) | [James Perry](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864390042) |

## What reviewers say

### Ember

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ember-temperature-control/id1147470931)

This app allows you to precisely control the temperature of your hot beverages using a smart mug. Customize presets, receive notifications when your drink reaches the perfect temperature, and explore recipes. Personalize your mug settings for an enhanced drinking experience.

**Highlights:** Precise temperature control, Save temperature presets, Beverage recipes and blogs, Customizable notifications, Manage multiple mugs, Personalize mug settings

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Keeps drink at perfect temperature
- 🍵 Great for tea and coffee drinkers
- 🎨 Customizable LED light colors
- 🔋 Decent battery life when used properly
- 🤖 Apple Watch app integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔌 Requires frequent charging and docking
- 🔒 Forced account creation and login
- 🔄 Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity
- 🐛 Buggy app with frequent issues
- 🤔 Confusing app UI and controls

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently logs users out
- Mug disconnects from app randomly
- Firmware update process often fails
- App doesn't always detect liquid in mug
- Presets and settings get lost after updates

**Requested features**

- Battery level indicator on main screen
- Improved Apple Watch app functionality
- Wireless charging option
- Ability to lock temperature settings
- Automatic temperature adjustment based on volume


### BourbonVault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bourbonvault/id6757373775)

Easily manage your bourbon and whiskey collection. Scan barcodes for instant bottle entry, track details, add tasting notes, and monitor bottle levels. Organize your wishlist and host tasting events with friends.

**Highlights:** Barcode scanning for instant bottle entry, Detailed collection cataloging, Custom tasting notes and ratings, Wishlist creation and tracking, Tasting event hosting and sharing, Collection analytics and insights, Privacy-focused local data storage

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BourbonVault Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ember free?

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

### Is BourbonVault free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ember or BourbonVault?

BourbonVault is rated higher. Ember averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while BourbonVault averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Ember or BourbonVault have ads?

Neither Ember nor BourbonVault shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ember or BourbonVault?

Ember ships an update every 2 months, and BourbonVault every 2 weeks. Most recently, Ember was updated on October 17, 2026 and BourbonVault on October 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*