# Kitchen Diary vs Cooking Mastery

Kitchen Diary and Cooking Mastery both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 78% of Cooking Mastery's written reviews are positive against 60% of Kitchen Diary's. Cooking Mastery also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). Kitchen Diary's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kitchen Diary sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Cooking Mastery sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Kitchen Diary against 4.6 for Cooking Mastery. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Kitchen Diary's written reviews are positive against 78% of Cooking Mastery's.

Kitchen Diary ships an update every 4 weeks, Cooking Mastery every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kitchen Diary | Cooking Mastery |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kitchen-diary-cooking-game/id1362515159/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cooking-mastery-kitchen-games/id1572982050/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.8% of reviews | **78.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 323 MB | 523 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ha Tam](https://appshunter.io/developer/1228777074) | [Meow Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1399165844) |

## What reviewers say

### Kitchen Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kitchen-diary-cooking-game/id1362515159)

Manage your own restaurant, cook and serve a variety of global cuisines. Upgrade your kitchen and decor with in-game currency. This addictive game offers fast-paced cooking challenges and a satisfying restaurant simulation experience.

**Highlights:** Cook and serve global cuisine, Restaurant management, Upgrade kitchen and decor, Fast-paced cooking gameplay, Unlock new recipes, Collect in-game currency

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Handful of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Apprentice Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Helper Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack Sale | $2.99 | one-time |
| Stagiaire Kit Sale | $3.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer Sale | $4.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Gems2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🎨 Appealing graphics
- ⏱️ Challenging levels
- 🕹️ Addictive and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive upgrades and in-app purchases
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 Issues with ads and video rewards
- 🔒 Lack of progress saving options

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezing and crashing
- Inability to update or download the latest version
- Purchased items not being delivered
- Video ads and rewards not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Better balance between free and paid progression
- Improved stability and bug fixes
- Progress saving via Facebook or cloud


### Cooking Mastery

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cooking-mastery-kitchen-games/id1572982050)

Cook and serve a variety of global dishes in a fast-paced time-management game. Upgrade your kitchens and ingredients to build your culinary empire and become a star chef. Enjoy hundreds of hours of fun with new content added monthly.

**Highlights:** Cook diverse global dishes, Upgrade kitchens and appliances, Time-management gameplay, Build a casual cooking empire, Unlock new restaurants, Earn achievements and rewards, Offline play

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Elite Chef Subscription Plan | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Pile of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mini Gem Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bowl of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Wednesday Limited Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Special Offer | $14.99 | one-time |
| Special Junior Chef Pack | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging game
- 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
- 💡 Realistic cooking simulation
- 😊 Enjoyable time-killer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 💰 Expensive upgrades and in-app purchases
- ⏱️ Challenging levels with tight time constraints
- 🤖 Unfair AI/customer behavior

**Reported bugs**

- Levels not registering completion correctly
- Coins/rewards not being awarded properly
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More holiday/seasonal content updates
- Ability to replay past levels
- Better progression system and upgrade balance
- Improved customer AI and level design


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kitchen Diary free?

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

### Is Cooking Mastery free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Kitchen Diary or Cooking Mastery?

Kitchen Diary is rated higher. Kitchen Diary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Cooking Mastery averages 4.6 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Kitchen Diary or Cooking Mastery have ads?

Both Kitchen Diary and Cooking Mastery show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kitchen Diary or Cooking Mastery?

Kitchen Diary ships an update every 4 weeks, and Cooking Mastery every 2 weeks. Most recently, Kitchen Diary was updated on November 6, 2026 and Cooking Mastery on November 7, 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.*