# Brewer's Mate vs Build a Beer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Brewer's Mate at none against Build a Beer's 2. Build a Beer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 35 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Build a Beer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Brewer's Mate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Brewer's Mate ships an update every 35 months, Build a Beer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brewer's Mate | Build a Beer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/build-a-beer/id6502470194/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Heathen Bob](https://appshunter.io/developer/426018207) | [David Vanfleet](https://appshunter.io/developer/1545773619) |

## What reviewers say

### Brewer's Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brewers-mate/id1493201198)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Build a Beer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/build-a-beer/id6502470194)

This AI-powered app assists homebrewers in creating custom beer recipes. It helps generate accurate clone recipes or develop original ones with appropriate ingredients and styles. Explore ingredients and discover new beer styles to brew.

**Highlights:** AI-assisted recipe generation, Clone brew recipe accuracy, Custom recipe creation, Ingredient exploration, New beer style discovery, Easy-to-use recipe format

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium (Yearly) | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brewer's Mate free?

Brewer's Mate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Build a Beer free?

Build a Beer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Brewer's Mate or Build a Beer have ads?

Brewer's Mate shows ads; Build a Beer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Brewer's Mate or Build a Beer?

Brewer's Mate ships an update every 35 months, and Build a Beer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Brewer's Mate was updated on October 26, 2026 and Build a Beer on November 4, 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.*