# Sample Ox vs Brewfather

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sample Ox at none against Brewfather's 4. Brewfather's advantage is ratings volume (755 vs 5) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Brewfather sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Sample Ox asks for nothing beyond the download.

Brewfather holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brewfather has 755 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Sample Ox's written reviews are positive against 94% of Brewfather's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Sample Ox ships an update every 5 weeks, Brewfather monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sample Ox | Brewfather |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sample-ox/id1477863984/reviews) | **[4.9 (755 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brewfather/id1488585822/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **755** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 93.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#76** |
| Size | 10 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Lean Sensory Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/934625153) | [Warpkode AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488585821) |

## What reviewers say

### Sample Ox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sample-ox/id1477863984)

Discover and rate various products like beer, coffee, and spirits. Compare your tasting notes with friends and experts, and track your palate's evolution over time. Participate in special tasting events to evaluate new products.

**Highlights:** Rate products with friends, Build and track your palate, Use industry-standard flavor terms, Compare results with experts, Join special tasting events, Evaluate new products

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Brewfather

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brewfather/id1488585822)

**Currently charting:** #76 Top Grossing · Food & Drink (US App Store)

This app helps homebrewers design recipes, track batches, and manage ingredients with a powerful, intuitive interface. It offers extensive tools for calculations, fermentation monitoring, and integration with brewing devices. Access a vast recipe library and sync across multiple devices, even offline.

**Highlights:** Recipe designer, Batch tracking, Ingredient inventory, Fermentation charts, Recipe library, Brew timer, Device integrations

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Excellent brewing tools and calculators
- 📊 Great data tracking and organization
- 🔍 Extensive recipe library
- 🤖 Seamless integration with brewing equipment

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🖥️ Compatibility issues on some platforms
- 💰 Subscription cost may be high for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Share button not working as expected
- App freezing or crashing on certain devices

**Requested features**

- More Australian malt and ingredient options
- Automated fermentation temperature monitoring and alerts
- Improved recipe sharing and collaboration features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sample Ox free?

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

### Is Brewfather free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sample Ox or Brewfather?

Brewfather is rated higher. Sample Ox averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Brewfather averages 4.9 from 755 ratings.

### Do Sample Ox or Brewfather have ads?

Neither Sample Ox nor Brewfather shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sample Ox or Brewfather?

Sample Ox ships an update every 5 weeks, and Brewfather monthly. Most recently, Sample Ox was updated on October 25, 2026 and Brewfather on October 30, 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.*