Comparison

Potion.bar vs Barrel Proof

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Potion.bar

Scan whiskey bottles to instantly access tasting notes, community reviews, and price comparisons. Discover new spirits, find local availability, and make informed purchasing decisions with curated recommendations.

Highlights
  • Scan and identify whiskey bottles
  • Explore tasting notes and flavor profiles
  • Read community reviews and ratings
  • Compare prices from online and local retailers
  • Find bottles at nearby shops and bars
  • Get curated whiskey recommendations
Features
Read full description

Discover whiskey with Potion.bar. Scan any bottle with your camera to identify it fast—then explore tasting notes, reviews, ratings, and price comparisons so you can choose your next pour with confidence. What you can do: - Scan & identify bottles: Recognize bottles from the label and pull up key details in seconds. - Explore tasting notes: Learn flavor profiles, style, and distillery background. - Read reviews & ratings: See what the community thinks before you buy. - Compare prices: Check online and local retailer listings (where available) to spot good deals. - Find bottles near you: Discover whiskeys at shops, bars, and distilleries in your area. - Curated recommendations: Browse picks for beginners and seasoned enthusiasts. Whether you’re identifying a mystery bottle, deciding between two bourbons, or hunting for a better price, Potion.bar helps you explore more and guess less. Note: Product information, pricing, and availability can vary by region and retailer. Potion.bar Premium (optional subscription) Premium unlocks deal alerts for bottles you track, every store location and price behind a listing, full price history with low, median and high, Fair Price and expert-score detail, and advanced value filters. - Premium Monthly: $7.99 per month - Premium Yearly: $79.99 per year Prices are in U.S. dollars and may vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your App Store account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://potion.bar/privacy Terms of Use: https://potion.bar/terms

About

Barrel Proof

Features
Read full description

Check in the whiskey you're drinking. Find the bottles you're not. Check In Pour something good, log it in two taps — score, flavor notes, who you were with. Barrel Proof remembers. Next time that bottle comes around it tells you you've had it four times, what you gave it last time, and whether tonight beat it. At a bourbon bar or a bottle shop, check in to the venue in one tap. Shoot the back bar and the app reads the labels — several bottles in one shot. See which wishlist bottles have been spotted there. Hunt Keep a wishlist of what you're chasing. The Hunt map shows liquor stores and bars near you, and where members have reported spotting bottles in the wild. Member reports and store locations — not live inventory, and no promise a bottle is still there. Collect Point the camera at a label and Barrel Proof knows it in seconds, off a catalog built from every US federal label approval — new releases, single barrels, store picks, the long tail hand-typed databases miss. Barcodes work too. Every bottle becomes a card, rarity Common through Grail, and the ones you shoot in person earn a BP Certified seal. Connect Follow what your buds are opening. Send anyone a share card of a bottle you caught, with a link that works whether or not they have the app. Ask the Sommelier what to open tonight — it knows your shelf. Free while we're in early access. Barrel Proof is for adults of legal drinking age. It does not sell alcohol and is not affiliated with any distillery or retailer.

Screenshots

Potion.bar4 screens
Barrel Proof4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barrel Proof at none against Potion.bar's 2. Barrel Proof also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Potion.bar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Barrel Proof asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Potion.bar ships an update every 4 weeks, Barrel Proof every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Potion.bar versus Barrel Proof: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPotion.barBarrel Proof
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (380 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews29.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings380 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB130 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperAinbr, Inc.Good On Me LLC

Bugs and requests

Potion.bar

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App freezes and requires closing
  • App goes in circles after iOS 17 upgrade
  • App hangs or crashes, difficult to navigate back
  • Hunting locations show reports over a year old
  • Nothing listed for Alabama
Show 5 more
  • Search only populates results for Austin and Dallas, Texas
  • Hunting spots just spin with no results
  • Searches yield no results
  • App crashes every time a bottle is selected
  • Search function for bottles never worked

Requested features

9 requests
  • Fix app after iOS 17 upgrade
  • Improve stability and prevent crashes
  • Update hunting location data with recent reports
  • Provide incentives for user contributions
  • Expand coverage to include more states/areas (e.g., Houston, Alabama)
Show 4 more
  • Work with distributors for delivery information
  • Market the app to stores to encourage stock tracking
  • Improve search functionality for common items
  • Allow searching by local area

Barrel Proof

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Potion.bar

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • Premium (Yearly)$79.991 Year
None

Barrel Proof

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Potion.bar free?
Potion.bar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Barrel Proof free?
Barrel Proof is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Potion.bar or Barrel Proof have ads?
Neither Potion.bar nor Barrel Proof shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Potion.bar or Barrel Proof?
Potion.bar ships an update every 4 weeks, and Barrel Proof every 4 days. Most recently, Potion.bar was updated on October 22, 2026 and Barrel Proof on October 21, 2026.

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