Comparison

Flame Boss vs BBQ Guru

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

Head to head
About

Flame Boss

Remotely monitor and control your cooking with a Wi-Fi smoker controller or thermometer. View temperature graphs, adjust settings, and receive text alerts for your pit and meat. Share your progress and save cook details for future reference.

Highlights
  • Remote temperature monitoring
  • Adjust set temperature
  • Text alerts for pit/meat
  • View temperature graphs
  • Share cooks on social media
  • Automatic warming temperature
  • Save cook notes and titles
Features
Read full description

The Flame Boss® app allows you to remotely monitor and control your cooks with any Flame Boss Wi-Fi smoker controller or thermometer. You can: -View temperature graphs of current and past cooks -Change the set temperature for your pit -Text alert configuration -Enable or disable pit and meat alerts -Share your cooks on Facebook and Twitter -Enable an automatic warming temp when the finished meat temp is reached -Add, edit and update personal cook titles and notes for future reference -Change device pin and remove shared access with other users -Make cooks private The Flame Boss app also works with the web-based application available at MyFlameBoss.com.

About

BBQ Guru

This app allows you to remotely monitor and control your BBQ Guru temperature device. It helps maintain precise cooking temperatures for perfect barbecue results, sending notifications to your phone so you can relax while your food cooks.

Highlights
  • Remote temperature monitoring
  • Precise cooking temperature control
  • Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
  • Visual status feedback via light ring
  • Email and text notifications
  • Monitor food internal temperature
Features
Read full description

Barbecuing with charcoal is the only way to achieve that unbelievable succulent, tantalizing flavor. Whether you're cooking beef brisket, pork ribs, or chicken wings, the key ingredients to mastering delicious barbecue are the perfect mix of time and temperature. Conquering this slow cooking process allows the tough, chewy protein fibers in meat to break down and transform into incredibly tender barbecue. The problem is that charcoal is notoriously difficult to control and wild temperature fluctuations can result in tough, dried, or burnt meat. Powered by smart technology, the BBQ Guru temperature control devices easily avoid this disaster by remotely measuring the internal temperature of your foods and effortlessly maintaining the precise cooking temperature inside your grill. The revolutionary DynaQ and UltraQ controllers take outdoor cooking to the next level with the Guru Status Light Ring. At a glance, you can get visual feedback on the status of your cooking temperature and the operation of the control. In addition, you can use this app to monitor or update your BBQ Guru temperature control device via Bluetooth or WiFi to achieve perfect predictability and consistency with your cooks without needing to hover by the cooker. You can also setup email and text notifications, so you’ll always know the most up-to-date status of your BBQ. Whether you’re in your backyard playing with the kids, relaxing by the pool, or hanging out with friends and family, a quick check on your phone over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi ensures your food is on target.

Screenshots

Flame Boss4 screens
BBQ Guru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Flame Boss at 4.6 against BBQ Guru's 2.5. Flame Boss also leads on ratings volume (2.4K vs 13) and review sentiment (36% vs 12%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flame Boss holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flame Boss has 2.4K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Flame Boss's written reviews are positive against 12% of BBQ Guru's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flame Boss ships an update every 2 weeks, BBQ Guru every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Flame Boss versus BBQ Guru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlame BossBBQ Guru
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.4K ratings) — better2.5 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews36.3% of reviews — better12.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4K — better13
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCollins Research Inc.BBQ Guru

Customer experience

Flame Boss

All ratings2,347 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews157 reviews
Positive36.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative55.4%

BBQ Guru

All ratings13 ratings
Positive38.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative61.5%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive12.1%
Neutral5.2%
Negative82.8%

User reviews

Flame Boss

From 2.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent temperature control
  • 🚀 Seamless remote monitoring
  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 🚀 Reliable performance

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues after updates
  • 🐛 Unstable app performance
  • 🐛 Unreliable notifications
  • 🐛 Difficulty setting up and connecting

BBQ Guru

From 13 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎯 Accurate temperature control when functioning properly
  • 📱 Convenient remote monitoring via app
  • 🔋 Reliable Bluetooth connectivity within range
  • ⚙️ Solid hardware design and build quality
  • 👨‍💼 Responsive customer service (when available)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 WiFi connectivity extremely unreliable and drops frequently
  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes constantly during use
  • 🐛 Bluetooth connection drops out of range inconsistently
  • ❌ Share My Cook feature broken or non-functional
  • ❌ App requires constant reconnection and restart

Bugs and requests

Flame Boss

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and loses connection
  • Inability to update temperatures and settings
  • Incorrect temperature readings
  • Failure to save cook history

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to pause/resume cooks
  • Improved app UI/UX
  • Faster load times
  • More customization options

BBQ Guru

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • WiFi connection fails to establish or maintain connection
  • App crashes when making temperature adjustments
  • Bluetooth disconnects when out of range and won't reconnect automatically
  • Share My Cook feature missing or non-functional
  • API errors during login attempts
Show 19 more
  • Device requires factory reset after app updates
  • App freezes when accessing timer or chart features
  • Temperature readings don't update unless app is closed and reopened
  • Device locks up mid-cook with fan stuck at 100%
  • Bluetooth PIN mismatch (4 digits shown but 3 required)
  • WiFi symbol shows connected but app shows disconnected
  • App doesn't recognize paired devices after update
  • Settings changes don't persist (temperature units revert)
  • Stop recording button too large, easily accidentally clicked
  • Device unresponsive to app commands despite showing connected
  • Pit temperature resets to zero randomly
  • Probe temperature readings inaccurate (9 degrees offset)
  • App doesn't send real-time alerts or notifications
  • Share My Cook website inaccurate or broken
  • Landscape mode not supported causing text overlap
  • Password reset emails not working
  • Long WiFi passwords with special characters rejected
  • App crashes when switching between Bluetooth and WiFi
  • Device shows purple WiFi light but app says disconnected

Requested features

14 requests
  • Temperature graph/chart over time tracking
  • iPhone push notifications and alerts
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Alexa voice control integration
  • Landscape mode support for tablets
Show 9 more
  • Food temperature probe tracking
  • Multiple alarm configuration options
  • WiFi-only connection option without Bluetooth
  • User forum for community support
  • Simplified setup wizard for new users
  • Better password validation (support longer/special characters)
  • Temperature unit consistency across all settings
  • Third-party app compatibility restoration
  • Legacy device support continuation

In-app purchases

None

Flame Boss

No in-app purchases

None

BBQ Guru

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flame Boss free?
Flame Boss is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BBQ Guru free?
BBQ Guru is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Flame Boss or BBQ Guru?
Flame Boss is rated higher. Flame Boss averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while BBQ Guru averages 2.5 from 13 ratings.
Do Flame Boss or BBQ Guru have ads?
Neither Flame Boss nor BBQ Guru shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flame Boss or BBQ Guru?
Flame Boss ships an update every 2 weeks, and BBQ Guru every 6 weeks. Most recently, Flame Boss was updated on October 29, 2026 and BBQ Guru on October 29, 2026.

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