# bartender.live vs Mixology

The clearest difference is monetization model: bartender.live at free against Mixology's free with in-app purchases. bartender.live also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 61%) and ratings volume (388 vs 84). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. bartender.live sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Mixology sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

bartender.live holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 388 and 84 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of bartender.live's written reviews are positive against 61% of Mixology's.

bartender.live ships an update every 8 days, Mixology fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bartender.live | Mixology |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (388 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartenderlive/id1309377225/reviews)** | [4.6 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mixology-pocket-bartender/id6474254757/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **388** | 84 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 61.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 76 MB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Jacket Industries, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1126517950) | [Vincent Kiptirgei](https://appshunter.io/developer/1710875764) |

## What reviewers say

### bartender.live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartenderlive/id1309377225)

Discover cocktail recipes based on ingredients you have. Browse over a thousand drinks, star favorites, and share creations. Learn drink histories and find new concoctions.

**Highlights:** Ingredient-based drink discovery, Browse 1000+ cocktail recipes, Favorite drinks for quick access, Share recipes with friends, Learn drink history, Discover new cocktails

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Top Shelf | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 💡 Innovative 'In My Bar' feature to find drinks based on available ingredients
- 📚 Extensive database of cocktail recipes
- 🎯 Generic ingredient categories instead of brand-specific items
- ⏰ Daily drink reminder at 5pm

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Search function inconsistent and sometimes returns no results
- ❌ Limited ability to add personal recipes and notes
- 🐦 Twitter-only submission method for new recipes (inaccessible to many)
- 📋 Incomplete recipe database missing common drinks
- ⚠️ Quality control issues with some recipes (missing ingredients)

**Reported bugs**

- Search returns no results for valid queries (e.g., 'Gin Campari')
- 'New' tab in drinks list remains grayed out
- New drink notifications not accessible if alert is missed
- Missing ingredients in some recipe descriptions despite correct images
- Inconsistent notification delivery for daily drink feature

**Requested features**

- Search/filter by specific spirit or ingredient (e.g., mint, bourbon)
- Ability to add personal notes and modify recipes
- Quantity tracking for inventory items
- Filter drinks by number of missing ingredients (1-3 missing)
- Ingredient suggestions to unlock more drinks


### Mixology

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mixology-pocket-bartender/id6474254757)

Discover and create a wide variety of cocktails with an extensive recipe library. Find new drinks based on your preferences, ingredients you have, or explore popular and random suggestions. Elevate your home bartending with detailed instructions and pairing ideas.

**Highlights:** Extensive cocktail recipe library, Search by name, ingredient, or type, Save favorite cocktails, Random cocktail generator, Home bar inventory suggestions, Ingredient information, Detailed step-by-step instructions

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| Annual | $16.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is bartender.live free?

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

### Is Mixology free?

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

### Which has better reviews, bartender.live or Mixology?

bartender.live is rated higher. bartender.live averages 4.8 out of 5 from 388 ratings, while Mixology averages 4.6 from 84 ratings.

### Do bartender.live or Mixology have ads?

Neither bartender.live nor Mixology shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, bartender.live or Mixology?

bartender.live ships an update every 8 days, and Mixology fortnightly. Most recently, bartender.live was updated on November 2, 2026 and Mixology on November 8, 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.*