# Butcombe vs Brakspear

The clearest difference is rating: Brakspear at 5.0 against Butcombe's 3.9. Brakspear also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Butcombe's advantage is ratings volume (37 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Brakspear holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Butcombe has 37 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Butcombe ships an update every 2 months, Brakspear every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Butcombe | Brakspear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/butcombe/id1461083713/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brakspear/id1615549964/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 32.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 33 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Butcombe Brewery Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1461083712) | [WH Brakspear & Sons Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518787895) |

## What reviewers say

### Butcombe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/butcombe/id1461083713)

Access exclusive facilities, rewards, and benefits at participating pubs. Earn points, book tables, and discover the latest offers. Order meals and drinks directly from your table and learn about the brewery.

**Highlights:** Earn rewards and benefits, Book tables at participating pubs, Discover latest offers, Order meals and drinks from table, Learn about the brewery, Purchase gift cards

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great pubs and beer
- 👍 Good food
- 👍 Friendly staff
- 👍 Nice atmosphere
- 👍 Easy to find venues

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Annoying pop-ups
- 🐛 Cumbersome navigation
- 🐛 Autofill not working
- 🐛 Tedious to re-enter details
- 🐛 Difficult to order

**Reported bugs**

- App repeatedly defaults screen brightness to 100%
- App crashes when trying to pay with card
- App exits/shuts down when trying to register loyalty card
- Required fields faulty during sign-up
- App menu text is unreadable in light mode

**Requested features**

- Accept Apple Pay for QR code payments
- Allow autofill from saved card details
- Improve app navigation
- Remember user details for bookings
- Allow editing or cancelling bookings online


### Brakspear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brakspear/id1615549964)

Discover pubs and explore scenic walks across the South of England. Find detailed information on 125 pubs and enjoy 200 circular routes, each starting and ending at a pub, with GPS-guided navigation.

**Highlights:** Pub details and facilities, 200 circular walking routes, GPS-enabled route navigation, Locate pubs across South England, Walks start and end at pubs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Butcombe free?

Butcombe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Brakspear free?

Brakspear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Butcombe or Brakspear?

Brakspear is rated higher. Butcombe averages 3.9 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Brakspear averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Butcombe or Brakspear have ads?

Neither Butcombe nor Brakspear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Butcombe or Brakspear?

Butcombe ships an update every 2 months, and Brakspear every 4 months. Most recently, Butcombe was updated on November 3, 2026 and Brakspear on October 6, 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.*