# Tasting Grounds vs Optimal Coffee Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Optimal Coffee Notes at none against Tasting Grounds's 2. Tasting Grounds's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (47 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tasting Grounds sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Optimal Coffee Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Tasting Grounds against 5.0 for Optimal Coffee Notes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tasting Grounds has 47 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Tasting Grounds's written reviews are positive against 75% of Optimal Coffee Notes's.

Tasting Grounds ships an update every 9 days, Optimal Coffee Notes every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tasting Grounds | Optimal Coffee Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tasting-grounds/id1526958511/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optimal-coffee-notes/id1583625309/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **47** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **84.2% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 62 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.0.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tasting Grounds, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526958513) | [Andrew Daniels](https://appshunter.io/developer/1295689735) |

## What reviewers say

### Tasting Grounds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tasting-grounds/id1526958511)

This app helps specialty coffee enthusiasts brew better coffee by logging brew details, tasting notes, and ratings. Connect with friends and the wider coffee community to share experiences, discover new coffees and roasters, and learn about coffee origins and processing methods.

**Highlights:** Log brew details and tasting notes, Rate coffees like a professional, Share brews and methods with friends, Discover coffee origins and processing, Explore new roasters and brewing techniques, See community tasting notes and ratings

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tasting Grounds Pro - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Tasting Grounds Pro - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


### Optimal Coffee Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optimal-coffee-notes/id1583625309)

Record and track detailed notes about your coffee brewing sessions. Document variables like grind size and brewing time to understand their impact on flavor. Rate your coffee and organize notes by brewing method or bean type to refine your perfect cup.

**Highlights:** Record coffee brewing details, Rate and review coffee taste, Add photos and custom details, Organize notes by method/type, Gain insights into flavor variables

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tasting Grounds free?

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

### Is Optimal Coffee Notes free?

Optimal Coffee Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tasting Grounds or Optimal Coffee Notes?

Optimal Coffee Notes is rated higher. Tasting Grounds averages 4.9 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Optimal Coffee Notes averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Tasting Grounds or Optimal Coffee Notes have ads?

Neither Tasting Grounds nor Optimal Coffee Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tasting Grounds or Optimal Coffee Notes?

Tasting Grounds ships an update every 9 days, and Optimal Coffee Notes every 4 months. Most recently, Tasting Grounds was updated on September 29, 2026 and Optimal Coffee Notes on September 18, 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.*