# Bartender School vs DrinkSmith

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DrinkSmith at 78% against Bartender School's 43%. DrinkSmith also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Bartender School's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 112). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bartender School sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and DrinkSmith sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bartender School holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bartender School has 1.3K ratings behind it against 112, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Bartender School's written reviews are positive against 78% of DrinkSmith's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bartender School ships an update monthly, DrinkSmith fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bartender School | DrinkSmith |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartender-school/id1384634154/reviews)** | [4.5 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drinksmith-cocktail-recipes/id6451126617/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 112 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **77.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | #198 |
| Size | 426 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Henrique Bersani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1384634153) | [Ryan Allen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1248135063) |

## What reviewers say

### Bartender School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bartender-school/id1384634154)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Learn to mix popular cocktails with this app that memorizes ingredients and provides quizzes on bar tools, glassware, and more. Master bartending essentials and impress with your skills.

**Highlights:** Cocktail ingredient memorization, Quizzes on bar tools, Learn about glassware, Garnish and liqueur knowledge, Beer type information, Cocktail challenge preparation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Student Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Cocktail Memorizer Access | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Membership | $199.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤖 Easy and effective cocktail memorization
- 🎓 Helpful for getting a bartending job
- 🎮 Fun and engaging learning experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription at $50/month
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and bugs
- ❌ Unreliable certificate delivery

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing after level 1
- Subscription issues causing account lockout

**Requested features**

- Wine training module
- Ability to report issues and errors


### DrinkSmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drinksmith-cocktail-recipes/id6451126617)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

Master the art of bartending with this comprehensive cocktail recipe guide. Discover hundreds of drinks, explore ingredients, and experiment with flavors using augmented reality. Perfect for both beginners and experienced mixologists looking to elevate their home bar creations.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of cocktail recipes, Augmented reality mixology guidance, Searchable filters by ABV, ingredients, flavor, Dynamic recipe collections, Ingredient information and usage tips, Customizable drink creation, Community sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DrinkSmith Pro Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| DrinkSmith Premium Yearly | $23.99 | per year |
| DrinkSmith Premium Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bartender School free?

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

### Is DrinkSmith free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bartender School or DrinkSmith?

Bartender School is rated higher. Bartender School averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while DrinkSmith averages 4.5 from 112 ratings.

### Do Bartender School or DrinkSmith have ads?

Neither Bartender School nor DrinkSmith shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bartender School or DrinkSmith?

Bartender School ships an update monthly, and DrinkSmith fortnightly. Most recently, Bartender School was updated on October 29, 2026 and DrinkSmith on October 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Bartender School or DrinkSmith?

Bartender School currently peaks at #195 in the App Store charts, and DrinkSmith at #198. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*