Levain vs CRUSTA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Levain
Manage your sourdough starters and bread baking recipes in one place. Track recipe steps, get notifications for feeding and baking, and monitor progress with widgets. Syncs across devices via iCloud.
- Recipe management
- Sourdough starter maintenance
- Baking step tracking
- Customizable notifications
- Home and lock screen widgets
- iCloud synchronization
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Bread Baking and Sourdough Maintenance Management for iOS and iPadOS Keep all your bread baking recipes in one single place. Define the individual recipe steps entering all details relevant to you (step duration, automatic or manual start, ingredients, temperatures, equipment etc) Bring your recipes to life by creating bakings. Get notified when a step is ready to start or has just started. Manage your sourdoughs and get notified when it’s time to feed or store them. Monitor your bakings and levains without opening the app by using the home screen and lock screen widgets. iCloud support: your recipes, bakings and levains will be available across all your iOS/iPadOS devices. Levain is totally free, In-App-Purchases allow you to tip the developer and have no impact on the app's functionality.
CRUSTA
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Bake bakery-quality bread at home. From beginner loaves to artisan sourdough. Features Swiss precision timers for overnight baking & smart shopping list integration. Description: The smell of fresh bread in the morning – stress-free. CRUSTA is your personal artisan bread coach. Whether you are baking your very first loaf or experimenting with high-hydration sourdough: We bring Swiss baking tradition and precision to your kitchen. WHY CRUSTA? Bread baking can be intimidating. We make it simple. Our focus is on "slow fermentation" and overnight recipes that let time do the work, so you can enjoy fresh bread without waking up before dawn. KEY FEATURES: - Curated Recipes Select from fail-proof recipes – from rustic Swiss dark bread to airy artisan loaves. - Smart Baking Timer Stop calculating! Tell CRUSTA when you want to eat, and we plan backwards. Step-by-step timers guide you through folding, proofing, and baking. - Swiss Precision, Global Taste Designed in Switzerland, CRUSTA understands local flour types (like Ruchmehl) but works perfectly with standard international flours. - Connected Shopping Selected a recipe? Add ingredients to your shopping list with one tap. Supports direct integration with the "Bring!" app. - Create & Share Invented the perfect loaf? Save it to your digital cookbook and share the recipe file directly with friends. WHO IS CRUSTA FOR? Beginners: Start with easy no-knead recipes. Creators: Build custom recipes and perfect your hydration levels. Foodies: Bring the bakery experience to your weekend brunch. Download CRUSTA today. Crispy crust. Airy crumb. Simply CRUSTA. _____________ Subscription Information (CRUSTA Pro): Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://www.crusta-app.ch/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.crusta-app.ch/terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
Levain and CRUSTA are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Levain sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and CRUSTA sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Levain ships an update every 2 weeks, CRUSTA every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Levain | CRUSTA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Michael Klug | Reto Saurenmann |
In-app purchases
Levain
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99
CRUSTA
- Crusta Premium - Monthly$1.991 Month
- Crusta Premium - Yearly$12.991 Year









