Comparison

The MICHELIN Guide vs Zenchef

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

Head to head
About

The MICHELIN Guide

Discover and book top-rated restaurants and hotels worldwide. Plan your next trip with curated selections, create personalized lists, and access exclusive perks. Expert travel assistance is also available.

Highlights
  • Global restaurant and hotel listings
  • Instant booking for hotels
  • Create and share favorite place lists
  • Exclusive hotel upgrades and amenities (Plus membership)
  • Expert travel specialist assistance
Features
Read full description

Stay in amazing places. Eat unforgettable meals. Take the MICHELIN Guide app wherever you go. The MICHELIN Guide app puts the world’s best restaurants and hotels right in your pocket — and lets you book them. It marks the first time in history that the entire global guide — every restaurant in every location — is all together, all in one place. The app also includes the new and improved MICHELIN Guide hotel selection. Now you can instantly book the world’s most unique and exciting hotels, each one chosen for their extraordinary style, service, and personality. The MICHELIN Guide app makes it easier than ever to plan your next adventure or enhance your current one. Use it to quickly find and reserve restaurants and hotels near you or in a future destination; create and share lists of all your favorite places; or trial our “Plus” membership and receive free VIP upgrades and amenities at participating hotels. Need concierge-level care? Our expert travel specialists are waiting just a click away, available to assist with any aspect of your trip. They’re real people, ready to help you go places. So get going. Find great restaurants & hotels in each MICHELIN Guide city. Book amazing hotels wherever you find yourself. Download the app today.

About

Zenchef

Discover and book available restaurant tables instantly without the stress of calling or guessing. This app provides real-time availability for your chosen date, time, and party size, offering a clear and confident dining reservation experience.

Highlights
  • See real-time restaurant availability
  • Book tables instantly
  • Explore trusted restaurants
  • Map-based restaurant discovery
  • Direct bookings with restaurants
Features
Read full description

Zenchef is a calmer way to reserve a table. Open the app, see what's actually available, and reserve without overthinking it. No juggling tabs. No calling. No guessing if it's worth it. Bon appétit, Team Zenchef ––– A FREE RESTAURANT RESERVATION APP, BUILT FOR CONFIDENCE Zenchef is a free restaurant reservation app that helps you find and reserve a table faster by showing real availability for your date, time, and party size. No discounts. No commissions. Just direct reservations with restaurants you can trust. SEE WHAT IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE Set your date, time, and party size, then explore restaurants on a map. • See live availability, not a wish list • Browse a whole area without leaving the map • Skip restaurants that are already full If a table is shown, you can reserve it. Simple as that. NARROW MANY OPTIONS DOWN TO ONE Choosing is the hard part. Filters do the work. • Filter by rating and number of reviews • Filter by price band and cuisine type Every restaurant page carries photos, cuisine, price range, distance, rating, review count, and links to the website, directions, and Instagram. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO • Read verified reviews from diners who reserved and dined • Get an AI summary of what those reviews agree on Real experiences, from people who actually sat down. RESERVE IN SECONDS • Reserve instantly inside the app • No calls, no redirects • Reserve as a guest, without creating an account • Save restaurants to a list for later • Buy a gift card for a restaurant you love KEEP EVERY RESERVATION IN ONE PLACE Plans move. A restaurant reservation should be easy to change. • See every reservation with its status • Modify a reservation when the day shifts • Cancel in a tap, without a phone call BUILT WITH RESTAURANTS, NOT AGAINST THEM Zenchef works directly with restaurants and never charges commission. That means: • Restaurants stay in control • Guests get accurate availability • No hidden fees Better information leads to better decisions for everyone. RESERVE ACROSS EUROPE Zenchef restaurants take reservations across Europe. Same app, same real availability, wherever you are eating. STILL HERE? THAT MEANS YOU CARE ABOUT WHERE YOU EAT. Zenchef helps make sure it's worth it. Now get the app and reserve a table somewhere great. If you have suggestions, write to us. We read everything.

Screenshots

The MICHELIN Guide4 screens
Zenchef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Zenchef at 79% against The MICHELIN Guide's 41%. Zenchef also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). The MICHELIN Guide's advantage is chart position (#178 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The MICHELIN Guide ships an update every 9 days, Zenchef weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
The MICHELIN Guide versus Zenchef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe MICHELIN GuideZenchef
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (7.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews40.7% of reviews78.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#178 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size171 MB97 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTablet IncZenchef

Customer experience

The MICHELIN Guide

All ratings7,550 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews361 reviews
Positive40.7%
Neutral11.9%
Negative47.4%

Zenchef

Written reviews33 reviews
Positive78.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative21.2%

Bugs and requests

The MICHELIN Guide

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Location services not working as expected
  • Search functionality not returning relevant results
  • Inability to save or access user-created lists

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to search by cuisine, price range, and other filters
  • Map view with location-based recommendations
  • User-generated reviews and photos
  • Offline mode for accessing content without internet
  • Landscape mode support for tablets

Zenchef

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

The MICHELIN Guide

No in-app purchases

None

Zenchef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is The MICHELIN Guide free?
The MICHELIN Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zenchef free?
Zenchef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do The MICHELIN Guide or Zenchef have ads?
Neither The MICHELIN Guide nor Zenchef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The MICHELIN Guide or Zenchef?
The MICHELIN Guide ships an update every 9 days, and Zenchef weekly. Most recently, The MICHELIN Guide was updated on November 1, 2026 and Zenchef on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons