# SQL Recipes vs SQL Play

The clearest difference is rating: SQL Recipes at 4.9 against SQL Play's 3.4. SQL Recipes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (91% vs 76%). SQL Play's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SQL Recipes sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and SQL Play sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SQL Recipes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of SQL Recipes's written reviews are positive against 76% of SQL Play's.

SQL Recipes ships an update every 2 months, SQL Play every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SQL Recipes | SQL Play |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-recipes/id1442737262/reviews)** | [3.4 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-play-learn-sql/id1546888933/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **109** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | **91.2% of reviews** | 76.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fedor Obraztsov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012115119) | [Shivam Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546888935) |

## What reviewers say

### SQL Recipes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-recipes/id1442737262)

Access over 150 tested SQL code samples for common queries and commands. This app provides ready-to-use solutions for various SQL tasks, saving you time searching online. It's ideal for learning, exam preparation, or quick developer reference.

**Highlights:** 150+ SQL query and command examples, Tested code samples from books and internet, Offline access to all examples, Quick search by code or topic, Print and share code examples, Cross-platform iOS and macOS support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Оperations with example | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock the paid topics | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version – Unlimited | $1.99 | one-time |


### SQL Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-play-learn-sql/id1546888933)

Learn and practice SQL directly on your phone without installing complex software. This app provides built-in tables and over 45 syntaxes with examples to help you master SQL queries. It supports dark mode and allows data export to CSV.

**Highlights:** SQL runner on mobile, 10+ inbuilt practice tables, 45+ SQL syntaxes with examples, DDL, DML, DQL support, Dark mode theme, Export data to CSV, Query history and auto-complete

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SQL Play Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for learning SQL
- 👍 Helpful for beginners
- 👍 Simple interface
- 👍 Useful for practicing SQL
- 👍 Explains commands step-by-step

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Broken and unusable
- 🐛 Syntax errors on launch
- 🐛 Query box does not clear
- 🐛 Shows errors near SELECT
- 🐛 Tutorial impossible to use

**Reported bugs**

- Items smushed together on download
- Syntax errors on first launch
- Query box does not clear
- Errors near SELECT even with correct query
- Cannot open pro even after activation

**Requested features**

- Solid update required
- Hire better iOS developers
- Show databases function
- Show tables function
- Add 'desc' command


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SQL Recipes free?

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

### Is SQL Play free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SQL Recipes or SQL Play?

SQL Recipes is rated higher. SQL Recipes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while SQL Play averages 3.4 from 38 ratings.

### Do SQL Recipes or SQL Play have ads?

SQL Play shows ads; SQL Recipes does not.

### Which is updated more often, SQL Recipes or SQL Play?

SQL Recipes ships an update every 2 months, and SQL Play every 3 months. Most recently, SQL Recipes was updated on October 6, 2026 and SQL Play on October 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.*